Reflective Essay on Leadership Theory

Running head: REFLECTIVE ESSAY 1
Reflective Essay
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Word count: 1947 words

REFLECTIVE ESSAY 2
Reflective Essay
1. Leadership theory
Everybody believes that he/she has a good idea concerning what it implies to be an effective
leader, but when it comes to defining the conception, the picture is not clear. For some of us,
leadership is motivation whilst for others; it represents inspiration and equals results. However,
in simple terms leadership can be defined as the art of motivating a team of people alias subjects,
to act towards attaining common goals. In a business organization setting, this can imply
directing employees with a strategy to meet the company’s needs and wants (Zhang, & Bartol,
2010). This particular definition captures the fundamentals of being able to motivate or inspire
people and being ready to do that. Efficient leadership is based upon ideologies (which can either
be borrowed or original or both), but cannot happen unless these ideas or ideologies are
communicated to others in a manner that involves them enough to act as the leader(s) intends
them to act.
My experience as a leader has made me understand leadership ideas and actions differently. I
therefore have gained a diverse comprehension of what it entails to be a successful leader. Good
leaders lead by example and they walk their talk. People normally want to follow an individual
whom they see is working with them towards a mutually established and understood goal.
Subjects prefer to be led by a leader who they can trust and Caza, Zhang, Wang, & Bai, (2015)
says, they tend to trust somebody who leads by example. Leading by example, therefore builds
credibility and trust, both of which are very essential fundamentals for the prosperity and success
of any leader. Besides, I have understood that the development and growth of people is the
highest calling of leadership. This implies that the most outstanding leaders are able to attract the

REFLECTIVE ESSAY 3
best candidates, engage their people properly, drive their productivity upwards, and assist them
develop and grow all the while. An exceptional leader optimizes their subjects’ day to day
contributions and maintains an open line of communication for both negative and positive
feedback, preparing the subjects to develop into leaders of tomorrow. Another leadership idea
was relayed by Tony Blair in his quote “The art of leadership is saying no, not saying yes. It is
very easy to say yes (Menke, 2012).” As a leader I developed this attribute learnt how to say
‘No’. As a leader I was always bombarded with a mountain of requests and petitions that
required my attention. I was barraged with requests for opinions, time, and deadline extensions
among others. Inasmuch as leaders want to ensure that their followers are pleased with them,
they should not always say ‘yes’ to all their requests since some are based on unjustifiable
reasons or selfish interests.
The above threshold concepts (TCs) completely changed my attitude and behaviour towards
leadership. They made me comprehend the significance of leading by example. When a leader
says one thing, but does another, they grind down credibility and trust, which are vital elements
of effective leadership. There are different ways through which leaders can lead by example.
These include taking responsibility, being truthful, being courageous, acknowledging failure,
being persistent, and creating solutions. What is more, as a leader now I acknowledge the
importance of developing my followers not just to attain the organizational objectives but also to
prepare them to become leaders. I constantly provide them with feedback (both positive and
negative) so that they can figure out their strengths and weaknesses. My attitude towards creating
a friendly atmosphere of likability was also altered. It is splendid as a leader to ensure your
followers like you but that does not guarantee a leader to always say ‘yes’ to their requests. I
learnt how to say ‘no.’