BUMGT5970 Leadership Reflection: Impact of Learning on Style

This essay provides a comprehensive reflection on leadership concepts learned throughout a course, spanning from foundational definitions to advanced leadership models. It delves into the impact of class activities on the student's leadership capacity and explores the influence of values, culture, ...Read More

Leadership Reflection
Student’s Name:
Student’s ID

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Introduction
Leadership is a skill which encompasses the capability of an individual or a firm to lead other
persons, teams, or the whole firm. It is the capability to create zeal and confidence among the
people and build an urge to lead a team. The paper will reflect on leadership that has been taught
in the class from week 1 to week 12. It will also discuss the impact of class activities on the
capacity of the leader to lead a team. Moreover, it will also describe a personal work experience
that had affected the work life of the student.
Reflection
In week 1, I have learned that the main issues in the study of leadership and identified the
implicit definitions of leadership. I have assessed the dynamics of leadership in terms of self-
others and the context. Leadership is a complicated phenomenon which involves communication
between the leaders, followers, and the circumstances (Offermann, Kennedy and Wirtz, 1994).
Attractiveness, tyranny, intelligence, strength, charisma, and masculinity are the dynamics of
leadership (Bolden, Gulati, & Edwards, 2019). In week 2, I gained knowledge about the
historical antecedents to think about leadership and considered the relevant classical views on
leadership. Napoleon had taken birth for changing the face of human history (Nicholson, 2013).
The leaders are the most vital component of good government. Barack Obama and Aung San
Suu Kyi are examples of ideal leaders (Demirtas & Akdogan, 2015).
In week 3, I have identified the traditional and contemporary leadership views, along with the
determinants of leadership. Traditional views consider planning, organizing, directing, and
controlling, whereas contemporary views consist of ambition, behavior, and intelligence. I have
also learned about the difference between the concepts of management and leadership (Bass,
1999). An individual could be an outstanding leaders as others follow them but will be lousy
managers as they do have proper planning, managing, and organizing (Ghasabeh, Soosay &
Reaiche, 2015). In week 4, I came to know about the complexity of developing models of
effective leader’s behavior. There are some global characteristics connected with dynamic
leadership. But the consensus is that the search for some global aspects has proven to be futile
(Goleman, 1998). I also identified the common characteristics connected with the leadership and
analyzed the roles of language, emotional intelligence, and character in leadership. Language,

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emotional intelligence, and character in leadership can create awareness and manage to assess
the styles, behaviors, personal skills, and attitudes (Hoch, Bommer, Dulebohn & Wu, 2018).
In week 5, I have gained information about the impact of values on a leader's behavior and
evaluated the influence of culture on the leaders and values of the workplace. Values are the
beliefs which show the behaviors and the targets for achieving in life. I have learned the factors
which shape the value systems and impacts of changing paradigms of leadership. Awareness for
own values, recognition of cultural differences and awareness for organizational values are the
factors that shape the value systems and impacts of changing paradigms of leadership (Holten &
Brenner, 2015). I have also acknowledged the ethical issues in the firms and recognized the
strategies to deal with ethical issues. Illegality and unfairness are the ethical issues, and
individualism, utilitarian, justice, and moral rights help to deal with those issues (Trevino,
Hartman and Brown, 2000). In week 6, I came to know about the barriers to promotion in
leadership in the organizations. Family-work conflict, lack of transparency in the policies of
promotion, lack of successful role models, and culture of long work hours are the barriers to
development in leadership (Im Campbell and Jeong, 2016). I have also analyzed the impacts of
gender on leadership style. Women are far better than men in communicating, developing, and
time management and coaching (Burke and Collins, 2001).
In week 7, I have identified the main concepts of the culture of the organizations and the
dynamic relation between organizational culture and leadership. Organizational culture is a
phenomenon and two levels, deeper and visible level and less visible level. It has the tendency to
change slowly due to the turnover of the employees and changes in the market environment of
the organizations (Jian and Fairhurst, 2017). The dynamic relation between organizational
culture and leadership is that culture in organizations is built by the leaders (Masa'deh, Obeidat
& Tarhini, 2016). In week 8, I have identified the differences between transformational,
authentic, servant, spiritual, and charismatic leadership. I have also evaluated the characteristics
of positive and authentic leadership behaviors and analyzed the practical and theoretical
applications of different models. Positive and genuine leadership behaviors show the positive
responses from their followers, and also the impacts will be better (Luthans, Avolio, Avey and
Norman, 2007). Positive leaders are also confident to take and put the needed efforts to solve the
challenging tasks (Meuser et al., 2016).

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In week 9, I have learned the significance of cultural views of the dynamic leadership in the
global market. Autonomous, risk taker and status consciousness are the cultural views of
dynamic leadership (Parry, Cohen & Bhattacharya, 2016). I have also analyzed the strengths and
weaknesses of the leaders of Australia and assessed their skills to compete efficiently in the
global market. Flexibility, hardworking, impartial, honesty, independent thinking, and direct and
open are the strengths of the leaders of Australia (Van der Voet, Kuipers & Groeneveld, 2016).
Poor people skills, lack of vision, lack of strategic perspective, lack of self-management and poor
teamwork are the weaknesses of the leaders of Australia (Javidan, Dorfman, de Luque & House,
2006).
In week 10, I have gained knowledge regarding the differences between leader development and
leadership development, as well as the effective processes of training for both leaders and
leadership development. Leader development focus on developing social capital while leadership
development focuses on developing human capital (White, Currie & Lockett, 2016). I also came
to know about action learning and double loop learning. The effective processes of training for
leaders development include coaching, group feedback, personality tools, and questionnaire and
360-degree feedback (Demirtas, 2015). The effective processes of training for leadership
development consist of mentoring, training and education, and experience. Learning for
changing the underlying values is known as double loop learning. Learning to control the action
commitments and learning time is called action learning (Yahaya & Ebrahim, 2016).
In week 11, I have identified the competencies needed by the leaders in the non-profit sector and
discussed the characteristics of the approach of the non-profit leadership compared with the
approach of the for-profit leadership. Fundraising, marketing, leadership, strategic planning,
HRM, financial management, program development, and volunteer development are the
competencies needed by the leaders in the non-profit sector (Thach and Thompson, 2006).
Reliance on volunteers, the centrality of values, the conflict between employees and board, lack
of clarity about the accountability and complication of a generation of revenue are the
characteristics of the approach of the non-profit leadership compared with the approach of the
for-profit leadership. I also came to know about the contextual variables which frame various
approaches of leadership. In week 12, I have consolidated the overall learning about the
leadership as well the main issues addressed through the unit. The basic concepts of leadership

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are behavior, traits, and situations which are underpinned in the leadership theories (Covin and
Slevin, 2017).
Leadership in Class
In a recent group assignment, I was made the leader of my group, which had 5 of my classmates.
After I was assigned the leader, I called all my group members and asked for suggestions from
each of them for starting the task. After listening to all the suggestions, I decided and divided the
task into five parts. In this way, I thought that the task could be completed in time, and I found
that all the other four members agreed at my decisions. I found myself as an effective leader as it
can help me in the future in my workplace.
Personal Work Experience
Change of Manager - Recently, one of the managers of my department in my workplace has
been shifted to another department of my organization. He was an extraordinarily efficient and
motivated leader, and due to this shifting, the productivity of my department have decreased in a
month, and it also affected the overall performance of my organization. The motivation of my
department became low, and they were less focused on their work. The new manager was better
but not like the previous manager. The working environment of my department was never the
same again like before.
Conclusion
The paper reflected about leadership that has been taught in the class from week 1 to week 12. It
also discussed the impact of class activities on the capacity of the leader to lead a team.
Moreover, it also described a personal work experience that had affected the work life of the
student. Leadership is determined by the qualities and traits of the leader, the team, and the
circumstances which exist in the firms. It motivates support and trust among the members of the
team for achieving the targets of the organizations.

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