Self-Reflective Analysis of Leadership Strengths: MGT601 Assessment 1

This report is a self-reflective analysis of leadership strengths based on the Gallup Strengths Finder assessment. The student identifies and discusses their top five strengths: restorative ability, communication skills, discipline, learning ability, and futuristic thinking. Each strength is elaborated upon with examples and personal reflections, connecting them to leadership principles and practices. The report acknowledges the importance of these strengths in various leadership scenarios, particularly in crisis management, team building, and continuous improvement. The student also critically evaluates their futuristic thinking, recognizing both its benefits and potential drawbacks, and aims to refine this aspect for more effective leadership. References to supporting literature are also included, demonstrating a comprehensive understanding of leadership theory and practice. This assignment is designed to build self-awareness and promote continuous learning and development in leadership.

Dynamic leadership
Gallup’s strength finder analysis

Gallup’s strength finder analysis
Leadership is critical to the success of any organization. For an individual too, leadership roles
play a significant role in shaping his or her personality. Effective leaders guide, motivate, lead
and mentor their teams. Different leaders have different leadership styles and abilities. A
democratic leader encourages participation from team members. An autocratic leader keep
decision making centralized. Charismatic leaders gain followers owing to their charm,
personality and charisma. Transformational leaders identify the need for change and lead the
change. Different leadership styles are well suited for different situations. Gallup’s strength
finder helps in identifying top five strengths of an individual.
The foremost strength as identified by the Gallup’s test is my ability to be restorative. This
suggests that I try to look at a solution rather than a problem. I completely agree with this
analysis. I have always been an optimistic individual. Crisis are a part of every organization. It is
the responsibility of the leader to address a crisis in an effective manner (Coombs, 2015). I am
sure that this ability will help me in case of crisis in any organization.
My second strength is my communication ability. Communication has always been an essential
subject for me. I believe I possess strong communications skills both verbal and written. Besides
this, I always try to create an atmosphere of open communication around myself. Openness and
transparency of communication leads to increased trust among employees (Blattner & Walter,
2015). I consistently work towards improving upon my communication in order to establish
better relationships with stakeholders.
The third strength of mine as per the test is my level of discipline. I have been actively involved
in several sports since I was a little child. That is where I learnt the importance of punctuality
and discipline. A leader is someone who people look up to. Therefore it is important that a leader
is disciplined (Wenner & Campbell, 2017). I make sure I reach all my meetings five minutes
before time and I am also consistent with my follow-ups.
One of the most important strengths depicted by the test was my ability to be a learner. A good
leader will always be a good learner (Nguyen & Hansen, 2016). Through my leadership roles, I
have had the opportunity to work with a large number of people and I have always tried to learn

from them. This helps in widening my horizons. My openness to learning has also improved the
team’s culture and everyone feels more open in sharing any critical feedback.
The fifth strength as depicted by the test is being futuristic. I always try to keep my short term as
well as long term goals clear. Although I do not entirely believe that this is a strength. At times I
am so fixated on my long term goals that I am unable to effectively address concerns of the
present. Hence I would surely work towards turning this into a strength for myself as well as for
my team.

References
Blattner, J., & Walter, T. J. (2015). Creating and sustaining a highly engaged company culture in
a multigenerational workplace. Strategic HR Review, 14(4), 124-130.
Coombs, W. T. (2015). The value of communication during a crisis: Insights from strategic
communication research. Business Horizons, 58(2), 141-148.
Nguyen, N., & Hansen, J. Ø. (2016). Becoming a leader-manager: a matter of training and
education. Development and Learning in Organizations: An International Journal, 30(6),
10-12.
Wenner, J. A., & Campbell, T. (2017). The theoretical and empirical basis of teacher leadership:
A review of the literature. Review of Educational Research, 87(1), 134-171.