People Culture and Contemporary Leadership

This reflective paper analyzes leadership traits and managerial upfront for future success. It includes theories of recruitment, selection, and retention, talent management, and practical outlook gained from guest speakers.

Running Head: PEOPLE CULTURE AND LEADERSHIP
People culture and contemporary leadership
Assessment 2-reflective journal
Student name
University name
Author notes

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The main purpose of this reflective paper is to analyze my own leadership traits and how
my managerial upfront will be in future. The journal provides leadership knowhow with
supporting theoretical base including theories of recruitment, selection and retention. Talent
management is an important part of leadership and this area is also explained elaborately. The
other concerned areas include my class performance and knowledge sharing, my professional
outlook of practical business opportunities from guest lectures and personality tests. SWOT
analysis tool ahs helped me in finding my core strengths and weaknesses. Now I can convert my
weak areas into my strengths by working on them. Combination of all these areas will include all
relevant areas of discussion for leadership and a holistic approach of the same can be obtained at
the end of the paper. Assessment of the paper will provide me an outlook of my future
professional expertise and will also show how I can mold myself to the on-going trend of
leadership.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................4
CRITICAL ANALYSIS WITH SUPPORTING THEORIES.........................................................5
DISCUSSION OF RELEVANT THEORIES..............................................................................5
RECRUITMENT, SELECTION AND RETENTION THEORY...........................................5
TALENT MANAGEMENT THEORIES................................................................................5
REFLECTION OF ONLINE SOURCES ON MY LEADERSHIP KNOWHOW......................6
PRACTICAL OUTLOOK GAINED FROM GUEST SPEAKERS............................................7
IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES AND ASSESSMENT FEEDBACK..................................................8
PSYCHOMETRIC TEST RESULTS AND THEIR PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS...............8
IDENTIFICATION OF STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES..................................................9
RECOMMENDATION AND CONCLUSION............................................................................11
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................12
APPENDICES...............................................................................................................................13

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INTRODUCTION
Globalization has changed the way of technological upliftment, business trends,
economic trends and social lives of people at large. Every corporation need to innovate and adopt
to changes at a rapid pace but the leadership style prevalent in the organization prevent the
changes. Cultural empowerment has been one of the major concerns of modern-day leaders.
Empathetic leadership trend has started in Gen Y and Gen Z talent management and sensitive
outlook towards employees has improved considerably. Modern leaders lead by action and
examples. They prefer ‘work life blend’ instead of ‘work life balance’ (Yahaya and Ebrahim
2016). I think present day leaders should encourage more women empowerment in business and
the glass ceiling factor need to be broken down. Giving more focus on agile talents will
strengthen embedded culture in the organization and remote work platform will get strengthened.
This reflective journal is a piece of self-analysis of my leadership traits, thoughts, feelings and
integrated action areas that I need to improve to be more effective as a leader. Theoretical
concepts and their relation to my leadership style is critically analyzed.

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CRITICAL ANALYSIS WITH SUPPORTING THEORIES
Completion of my current degree will lead me to the world of competitive business. To
have stable grip in this industry I need to have a strong base of leadership and management. I
have used Gibb’s framework of reflective writing that includes a systematic approach of
presentation of the concerned area od discussion. The six areas that need to be incorporated are
mentioned below.
DISCUSSION OF RELEVANT THEORIES
RECRUITMENT, SELECTION AND RETENTION THEORY
Entering the world of business is not easy and only the most job-fit candidate is
considered. The process of recruitment, selection and retention help the HR department in
choosing the right candidate for the job role. Interview is the most common form of recruitment
and selection. Advertisements in various job portals, online platforms, company websites,
newspapers, job magazines and other mediatory help attracting the right talents for the job role
(Parris and Peachey 2013). The process of recruitment is a lengthy and tiring process. It starts
with resume screening and shortlisting and ends in choosing the right candidate to be
interviewed. Selection process follows recruitment. Selection of the right candidate is not then
end of the process because it is equally important to retain the talent because if employee
turnover increases the overall performance matrix of the organization will suffer. Futuristic
evaluation needs to be emphasized more during job interviews. Hiring employees need a
complete knowhow of the compensation plans, benefits, perks and other pay hikes during the
tenure of the job.

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TALENT MANAGEMENT THEORIES
Talent simply means skills and capabilities of an individual in a particular field. Talented
employees contribute directly to strategic business and competitive market positioning. Such
employees are the most valued assets in an organization. Managing the right talent is not that
easy and the HR department find it one of the most crucial job to be done. The philosophy of
talent management provides a number of theoretical implications to it. Two most known theories
include Person-Organization Fit theory and Inclusive (Egalitarian) or Strengths-based approach
(Nanjundeswaraswamy and Swamy 2014). The person-organization fit theory is also called as
attraction-selection-attrition theory. I have noticed that work centric, collectivistic and money-
oriented job seekers are more attracted to the Japanese organizations and their cultures. This
means that there is a direct link between people and their organizational choice. The Egalitarian
approach provides us with the perspective that talent management is managing talents of all
employees irrespective of expertise, age, gender, race, caste and creed (Kroeger and Thuesen
2013). I also think that all employees have the potential in them and they all need proper
guidance and support in showcasing their talent. It is the most holistic approach of talent
management.
REFLECTION OF ONLINE SOURCES ON MY LEADERSHIP KNOWHOW
Contemporary study on leadership is one of the most discussed topics for academicians
and professional practitioners like me. Present day leaders are more open to challenging
situations and degree of complexity for them is much higher in comparison to their antecessors.
Rapid change in global outlook has a direct effect on leadership and modern-day leaders are
more flexible to changes. The importance of integrity and value system has increased leading to
strong organizational culture. I have researched a number of websites, peer-reviewed journals,

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periodicals, e-books, magazines and articles to prepare this reflexive paper. I understood that
leaders are empowered business managers. Success of a leader is not his own success but is the
success of the whole team. Leaders thought from wider aspect and always works in collaboration
(Antonakis and House 2013). The study has widened my sphere of knowledge and now I can
relate them to my practical professional world easily. Online social networking approach of
communication and networking are widely used by leaders of this generation. Participative and
consultative leadership styles use social media for resource activities and are in support of
change in work environment as a result of e-revolution. Online research sources have increased
my depth of knowledge on one hand but has lowered my eagerness to discover new things. All
relevant information is readily available on online sources and thus the urge to creativity and
newness has diminished considerably (Avolio and Yammarino 2013). But if I want to mention
about the implications of online resources then I cannot deny their importance in shaping my
practical outlook and how they have helped me prepare my reflexive write-up.
PRACTICAL OUTLOOK GAINED FROM GUEST SPEAKERS
A number of guest speakers have been provided by Kaplan so that we could widen our
knowledge of leadership. They have shared their practical life stories with us and have shown us
the path that best suits leaders in an organization. They have at times shifted from their very
natural leadership style, and have taken decision from organizational view point, just to achieve
the desired result (Yahaya and Ebrahim 2016). Let us have a look at some of the main theories of
leadership. First the trait theory is considered which is very controversial in its approach. The
main assumptions include that man are born with some inherent traits, among them some traits
are suitable for leadership only and good leaders have the right combination of traits in them

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already. Four primary traits are responsible for the success and failure of a leader. They are
emotional stability, admitting faults, strong interpersonal skills and widened intellectual breadth.
But a lot of paradox is linked to the trait theory and its practicability is thus criticized more often
(Du, Lindgreen and Sen 2013). The transformational leadership theory is based on the
assumptions that people will only follow the person who inspires them, a person having clear
vision is sure to achieve something great in life and only way to get things done is by injection of
energy and enthusiasm. I think working for a transformational leader will increase experiences
and our passion of achieving things in life will get the right direction. But transformational
leaders are often charismatic and belief in themselves the most instead of believing others
(Keskes 2014). And this make them mistaken. Just because they believe that they are right does
not necessarily mean that they are right.
IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES AND ASSESSMENT FEEDBACK
My in-class activity participation has provided me high scope of improvement in areas of
public-speaking skills, team building skills and overall communication skills and has helped me
in gearing up my confidence level. I have participated in every in-class activity including debate
session, group discussion session, impromptu speech session, mind-games session and other
activities that has helped shaping my expertise and leadership skills. I have also presented a
number of in-class presentations and have mingled well with other fellow class mates. Adding to
this, I have completed a number of writing assignments that has increased my vocabulary and
has improved my way of presentation. The assessment feedback that I received has identified my
ability and strengths along with my areas of improvement and I have gained more self-
confidence now. I have gained a crystal-clear picture of my position in this competitive world
and need to work on a number of weak areas to add weightage to my professional presence.

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PSYCHOMETRIC TEST RESULTS AND THEIR PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS
A lot of psychometric tests have assessed my leadership qualities. Though end results are
provided in the appendix section, but I have done the critical analysis in this section only. The
psychometric tests provide me the scope to know myself better by providing some of the self-
improvement measures. I have taken the famous five leadership personality tests of Wealth
dynamics, John Maxwell leadership assessment, Myers Briggs Type Indicator, DISC profile and
Strength Finder. I found myself to be an ENTJ (Extrovert Intuitive Thinkers Judgers) that is
Commander in the Myers Briggs test. The results give a feeling of happiness as I am what I am
and always try to find a way out or if not make the way on my own. The Wealth Dynamics test is
mainly restricted to entrepreneurs (Chemers 2014). It clearly shows one’s stand and also shows
the focus areas in work and also in life. The test results show that I am basically a DEAL
MAKER and thrive for win-win situation for every result. The John Maxwell Leadership
assessment has provided me with benefits like measurement of all 64 leadership attributes, easy
feedback compilation, summary of leadership attributes based on my average score, raters’
unedited feedback, and overall category scores on the five leadership levels (Dinh et al. 2014).
Though I have done the test here in individual scale and not in group scale. The test results prove
that I am a good leader. Strength finder has helped in recognizing my top 5 strengths out of given
34 parameters. The DISC profile test is all about the four behavioral patterns of dominance,
steadiness, influence and compliance. As per results I have an influence type leadership trait.
IDENTIFICATION OF STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES
My major strengths include
 Ability to get on with all types of people
 Reliable and trustworthy

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 Hardworking and focused
 Have strong analytical skills
 Well time management skills
 Give attention to details when necessary
My weaknesses include
 No work experience as such
 Quick decision maker
 Impatient and restless at times
 Over optimistic and try to find solutions on my own neglecting given protocols
 I am terrible in ending up things.
Both my strengths and weaknesses are mentioned by using the tool of SWOT analysis. I have
thought on my professional upfront and have decided on the strengths and weaknesses keeping
my work life in mind. With time my experience level will increase and I will be able to convert
my weaknesses into my strengths. But I also need to improve my overall professional aspect and
need to be more practical and open to the real business world.

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RECOMMENDATION AND CONCLUSION
To conclude this reflective journal, it is evident that I have tried my level best to
summarize the writing in the given word limit and has put most of the relevant theories and
practical implications that I thought I could incorporate in this paper. I have shared and discussed
my in-class experience and have also mentioned those practical implications that I gained from
various online sources and my course study materials. I have also mentioned my key strengths
and some of the major weaknesses and I believe that I will be able to convert my weaknesses
into my strengths one day. I feel today’s leaders need to develop cultural intelligence along with
core leadership. Cultural intelligence will broaden their ability to cross divide workforce and
adopt the ongoing multi-cultural influx. CQ incorporates in itself networking, collaboration, trust
factors and demographic variations. I have well understood the need of cross-cultural support in
diversified work-life as it leads to the overall organizational success. So, with time things will
get clearer but some issues will still remain unsolved and the mystery of true leadership will
continue to unfold.

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REFERENCES
Antonakis, J. and House, R.J., 2013. The full-range leadership theory: The way forward.
In Transformational and Charismatic Leadership: The Road Ahead 10th Anniversary
Edition (pp. 3-33). Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
Avolio, B.J. and Yammarino, F.J. eds., 2013. Introduction to, and overview of, transformational
and charismatic leadership. In Transformational and Charismatic Leadership: The Road Ahead
10th Anniversary Edition (pp. xxvii-xxxiii). Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
Chemers, M., 2014. An integrative theory of leadership. Psychology Press.
Dinh, J.E., Lord, R.G., Gardner, W.L., Meuser, J.D., Liden, R.C. and Hu, J., 2014. Leadership
theory and research in the new millennium: Current theoretical trends and changing
perspectives. The Leadership Quarterly, 25(1), pp.36-62.
Du, S., Swaen, V., Lindgreen, A. and Sen, S., 2013. The roles of leadership styles in corporate
social responsibility. Journal of business ethics, 114(1), pp.155-169.
Keskes, I., 2014. Relationship between leadership styles and dimensions of employee
organizational commitment: A critical review and discussion of future directions. Intangible
Capital, 10(1).
Kroeger, O. and Thuesen, J.M., 2013. Type talk: The 16 personality types that determine how we
live, love, and work. Dell.
Nanjundeswaraswamy, T.S. and Swamy, D.R., 2014. Leadership styles. Advances in
management, 7(2), p.57.
Parris, D.L. and Peachey, J.W., 2013. A systematic literature review of servant leadership theory
in organizational contexts. Journal of business ethics, 113(3), pp.377-393.
Yahaya, R. and Ebrahim, F., 2016. Leadership styles and organizational commitment: literature
review. Journal of Management Development, 35(2), pp.190-216.

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APPENDICES
LEADERSHIP PERSONALITY TESTS
APPENDIX 1 WEALTH DYNAMICS PROFILE REPORT

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APPENDIX 2 DISC PROFILE TEST

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APPENDIX 3 MYERS-BRIGGS TEST

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APPENDIX 4 STRENGTH TEST RESULTS

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APPENDIX 5 JOHN MAXWELL’S LEADERSHIP ASSESSMENT QUESTIONNAIRE

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