Developing Leadership Skills: A Journey of Self-Reflection and Improvement

This report discusses the journey of developing leadership skills and methods to improve them. It includes personal reflection, Gallup test results, feedback, and theoretical frameworks. The report aims to increase self-awareness and provide strategies for professional and leadership development.

Running head: LEADERSHIP SKILLS
LEADERSHIP SKILLS
Name of the student:
Name of the University:
Author's Note:

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Executive summary
The report has discussed the leadership journey and methods to develop leadership traits. This
focuses on own leadership journey and theoretical concept associated with them. This report has
aimed to enable for building a self-awareness and a clear sense of how to be an emerging leader
in the near future. It has encouraged deep reflection on the life and leadership journey to present
position. It helps to increase personal understanding of current leadership capabilities and
potential. This report has discussed theories and approaches for understanding the effect of the
Gallup test and the feedback of the other classmate. It concludes with the implementation of
strategies to develop professional outlook and leadership qualities.

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Table of Contents
Introduction:....................................................................................................................................3
Discussion:.......................................................................................................................................3
Current role:.................................................................................................................................3
Leadership journey......................................................................................................................4
Results of the Gallup...................................................................................................................4
Feedback......................................................................................................................................5
Implications of the feedback........................................................................................................6
Theory and conceptual frameworks:...........................................................................................7
Conclusion:......................................................................................................................................7
References:......................................................................................................................................9

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Introduction:
The aim of this report is to discuss the professional life of a person who develops
leadership skills gradually. This report will be detailing the aspects of the personal and
professional life so that the leadership qualities that I possess come out and be presented to the
others around me. This method of reflection about my own strengths and weaknesses can
effectively help me to increase efficiency as a leader. The report will discuss the result of Gallup
test in one hand and my classmate’s feedback about me on the other which will reveal some most
important facts of my feature as a leader. The theories, approaches and test results will be vitally
analyzed so that each factor can be minutely attained so also developed.
Discussion:
Current role:
As mentioned previously, I have been playing a role of commercial cleaner in Playford
Hotel. This is a part time job as I am still a student from other country. I have been balancing my
study and job therefore there are issues that affect me more than the others. My immediate boss
has found out the accountability factor in me for which I have been made the supervisor of the
other cleaners of this hotel. Despite the fact that in my home country in India, I never had done
any job for my living but here I have successfully satisfied my boss with my work. This reveals
that I have some leadership capabilities in me.
However, in doing this type of job, I have come across different types of challenges. First
of which is associated with the other employees who initially did not support me as I got
preference from my immediate boss. These colleagues of me tries to create issues so that I leave
the job or at least get offensive remark from my boss. However, this type of problem has been

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reduced as I have communicated well with the colleague and tries to empathize with his
problems. This have created a food bond among us and the other colleagues are also convinced
with my capabilities to be a leader.
Leadership journey
My leadership journey is not very lengthy and important because I have not worked
before this particular job. As I have mentioned before, that I only have the leadership experience
in the school level when I used to be the class monitor in my school. However, this was
important as among all the students present in the class, I was chosen the leader which again
reveals my inborn qualities of leadership and I carried out my responsibilities since that early
age. I have been constantly getting support from my parents who instigated me to become a
leader. As they themselves are well settled in their business, they expect me to grow leadership
qualities in me so that I can carry on their business in near future. These are the reason why I
have grown a self-image of leader and wherever and what situation I go, I cannot resist my
leadership qualities to be flourished. This is the reason why people gradually follow my
strategies and respect me.
Results of the Gallup
As the result of Gallup test reveals, I have learning, strategic, focused, achieving and
analytical skills which are essential for the success of the leaders. As a leader, I have grown the
analytical capabilities which helps me to think a matter from different perspectives. Thus, I make
decisions effectively which do not affect or harm the interest of others (Shirey, 2017). Secondly,
I am a learner and do not close the paths of learning from any type of situation. This is the reason
why, I love to study theories and approaches for effective leadership and analyses the examples
where the global leaders make decisions to face complex problems.

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Thirdly I am a strategist which is why I make decisions thinking different alternate ways.
This is the reason why, when any type of situation appears, I quickly analyze various aspects of
the situation and make strategies to solve the problems. I never make any type of decisions based
on emotional or sympathetic ground therefore, my decisions remain unbiased in every way. As
the result of Gallup Strengths Finder reveals, I am a focused person in my analysis of the
contexts. Therefore, I can develop priorities before making any decision and act more efficiently
than to solve any type of issues (Walley, 2013). I can effectively perform in an adverse situation
and execute all the needed actions for remaining in the right and designed goal. As revealed by
this particular test, I have an achieving mentality which helps me to work hard. This is the reason
why I study in day and work in the night shift. I feel satisfied to accomplish tasks and remain
productive all the time.
Feedback
The feedback has helped me to see my strengths and weaknesses from the eyes of the
other people which is important for the personal and professional development of a leader. From
the overall feedback, I have understood that I have some prominent skills and traits of successful;
leadership. As the feedback of my class mate reveals, I have pointed out that my passion for
learning is known to her also. She has identified my strategy to pursue an efficient professional
pathway in the near future through the process of career development both in the professional
way as well as personal way.
Secondly, this particular classmate of mine has identified my capability of organizing a
very difficult task that is organizing meeting and conveying messages to the others. It is one of
the most needed skills for the contemporary leaders (Lundin & Söderholm, 2013). In this
meeting, I have successfully prioritized the tasks and communicated with the people completely

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unknown to me and maintained effective time management. Through the feedback, I have clearly
identified the connection between the result of the Gallup test and the perceptions of my
classmate about me. This feedback has also helped me to realize the roles and responsibilities of
the members with whom I decide to work. From the viewpoint of my classmate, I have
developed some of the issues in my character that may harm my progress to be a successful
leader. First is the struggle with time that related to my effort to balance study and job and
second is the uncontrollable behavior of some colleagues of mine. To my classmate facing such
challenges is common but enduring them with resilience is tough which I continuously do to be a
successful leader (Boniwell & Smith, 2018).
Implications of the feedback
The implications of the feedback along with my reflection is significant. Most of the
factors pointed out in the feedback are however in support of my character and feature to be a
successful leader. However, the theories of leadership as point out, I need to sharpen my
efficiency level of leadership (Tubin & Pinyan-Weiss, 2015). This is the reason why I need to
have a personal leadership development strategy. The feedback of my classmate thus connects
me with the learner talent found in the Gallup Strengths Finder test. This feedback has pointed
out my ability to maintain a high standard in education that can relate me to the leadership skills.
My classmate has identified that I can effectively balance my study with the job for sustaining
and meeting expenses in this foreign country which reveals that I am a responsible person who
like effective leaders, used to help my friends in their studies so they also can grow like me. In
this regard I have to take strategic steps so that this aspect can be used to influence others and
bring them to my path.

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Secondly, I need to solve the problems regarding the challenges put by my colleagues. To
a successful leader this type of issues should not get growth which may question third authority
(Forner et al., 2015). I need to bring some changes in my attitude so that my colleagues do not
feel insecure with my growing power. Communication is a method to increase popularity which I
can attain through proper communication with most of the person around me and do the same
task as I. In order to develop communication skill, I need to attain some courses and learn about
the human behaviors more so that I can easily point out what exactly the people before me think
and expect from me (Gordon, 2017). Thirdly, in order to become a successful leader, I need to be
resilient about the criticisms of my actions or decisions but I also need to tackle these criticisms
in a positive way. I can unite the team only when I can effectively convince each of the person of
the team. Another most impotent thing I need that is to think more creatively. In the feedback my
classmate has pointed out my struggle to balance things but the effective leaders do not struggle
to do so. They make strategies and divide tasks among the members so that they do not need to
struggle in any situation. Moreover, time management is another thing that I need to take care of.
Theory and conceptual frameworks:
There are numerous theories present in becoming successful leader. The original traits in
me have been pointed out in the Gallup test which shows that trait theory is applicable to me. Io
possess many leadership qualities that I did not learn or incorporated in my own behavior (Lucas
& Goodman, 2015). However, I think the contingency theory of leadership is one of the most
important theories that help the individuals to make decision in the needed situation. The
motivation factor is missing in me for with I need to increase the transactional leadership style in
me (Bush et al., 2017). However, the most appropriate style of leadership that I feel most fitted

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in this competitive business world is the transitional leadership style. This style possesses all the
necessary factors of a leader that I need to follow effectively (Shirey, 2017).
Conclusion:
Therefore, it can be concluded that leadership traits are not the only thing that the leaders
must possess but they also know when and how they will use their skills and learnings
appropriately. From the above discussion it is clear that I possess some traits which has helped
me till date but for becoming a successful leader, I need to learn more and understand the
atmosphere where I work. I need to implement some most important dictions that can transform
my weaknesses to strength.

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References:
Boniwell, I., & Smith, W.A. (2018). Positive psychology coaching for positive leadership.
In Positive Psychology Coaching in Practice (pp. 181-200). Routledge.
Bush, T., Abdul Hamid, S., Ng, A., & Kaparou, M. (2017). School leadership theories and the
Malaysia education blueprint: Findings from a systematic literature review. International
Journal of Educational Management, (just-accepted), 00-00.
Forner, V., Jones, M.L., Parrish, D.R., Eidenfalk, T.J., Kiridena, S., Popov, N., & Berry, Y.J.
(2015). Positive leadership education and practice: a self determination theory based
leadership development program.
Gordon, J. (2017). The Power of Positive Leadership: How and Why Positive Leaders Transform
Teams and Organizations and Change the World. John Wiley & Sons.
Lucas, N., & Goodman, F.R. (2015). Well-being, leadership, and positive organizational
scholarship: A case study of project-based learning in higher education. Journal of
Leadership Education DOI, 1012806(V14/I4), p.T2.
Lundin, R.,A., & Söderholm., A. (2013). ‘Temporary organizations and end states: A theory is a
child of its time and in need of reconsideration and reconstruction’ International Journal
of Managing Projects in Business, vol. 6, no. 3, pp.587-594.
Shirey, M.R. (2017). Leadership practices for healthy work environments. Nursing
management, 48(5), pp.42-50.
Tubin, D., & Pinyan-Weiss, M. (2015). Distributing positive leadership: The case of team
counseling. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 43(4), pp.507-525.

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Walley, P. (2013). Stakeholder management: the sociodynamic approach, International Journal
of Managing Projects in Business, vol. 6, no. 3, pp.485-504.