Dynamic Leadership: Self-Assessment, Feedback, and Leadership Journey

This report provides a comprehensive self-reflection on the student's leadership journey, drawing on personal experiences and insights from the Gallup StrengthsFinder assessment. It explores the student's strengths, including strategic thinking, input, competition, maximizing, and significance, while also acknowledging areas for improvement based on feedback from mentors. The report delves into the student's leadership roles, responsibilities, and challenges, as well as key aspects of their leadership journey, including early influences and aspirations. It links these reflections to democratic leadership theory, emphasizing the importance of employee empowerment and open communication. The report also addresses the implications of feedback received, such as the importance of pre-planning and fostering a friendly work environment, and outlines a personal leadership development strategy. Finally, the student concludes that leadership is an important skill that helps in building a great personality of a person.

Running head: DYNAMIC LEADERSHIP
Dynamic Leadership
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author note:

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Executive Summary
Leadership is an important aspect that will contribute to the development of self-
awareness and working of a person. In order to be a great leader it is necessary that to
develop a good relationship with employees. The paper is based on self-reflection and the
ways I can improve my qualities to be a leader. The paper has helped me to understand my
weaknesses and strengths that will help me pursue efficient leadership while starting my own
business.

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Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................3
Role, responsibilities and leadership challenges........................................................................3
Key aspects of my leadership journey.......................................................................................5
Result of the Gallup Strengths Finder........................................................................................5
Key feedback points...................................................................................................................6
Implications of the feedback......................................................................................................6
Link to theory and conceptual frameworks................................................................................7
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................8
Reference list..............................................................................................................................9
Appendix..................................................................................................................................11

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Introduction
In the words of Yu (2019), leadership is an important factor that ensures that a person
is worthy enough to take up activities that will contribute to the development and
improvement of the working process in an organisation especially in a business organisation.
While taking up leadership I should ensure that I have efficient and adequate skills that will
help me to work as a leader in an organisation. I have realised that leadership is a very easy
word to pronounce; however, numerous activities and responsibilities are to be performed
while being a leader. According to Ryan (2018), a leader has to face numerous challenges
and should ensure that it is resolved as early as possible that will help in being more effective
and efficient while working as a leader. Few people are born leader and few needs to practice
leadership skills, which will contribute to be an effective leader (Jaiswal & Dhar, 2016). The
paper is a reflection of my leadership qualities and the actions that must be taken up in order
to improve my leadership skills that will help me to take up challenges. The paper will also
reflect in my assessment performed earlier as there I have summoned my strengths and
weaknesses to be an efficient leader.
Role, responsibilities and leadership challenges
The following are the current roles that I have to perform in order to ensure proper
working in the organisation:
 Vision: It is necessary that the leader must have a vision that will help in obtaining
the goals of the organisation (Antonakis & Day, 2017). The vision must also be well
known to the employees that will help in coordination and working as a team
successful. I ensured that the employees working under me had a clear understanding
of the importance of the target or the vision that will help in achieving.

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 Empowering: It is necessary that I allocate task and empower them with the
responsibility of the particular task. In order to ensure that there is a good cultural
diversity, the leader must involve the employees and provide them with responsibility.
 Support and motivation: Motivation and support is a crucial factor that the leaders
must show to his employees (Blackwill & Campbell, 2016). I ensured that the
employees working under me must be motivated and I consider feedbacks as one of
the important things that will help in better communication between my employees
and me.
The following are the current responsibilities that I have to perform in order to ensure
proper working in the organisation:
 Ensure long-term success for the organisation: While working as a leader, I
consider that it is my responsibility to ensure that the organisation is being benefitted
for a long term. I must develop plans that will help in the development of the
organisation and help in development of the productivity of the employees.
 Commitment: In the words of Farmer (2017), commitment is an important factor.
The organisation must be aware that the leader is loyal and will not be disclosing any
internal information to any other competitive organisation.
 Set example: As a leader, I consider that setting example for the employees is
necessary as it will be a motivation for the employees to work. Taking up challenges
is one of tsk that the leaders must encourage (Burbank, Odom, & Sandlin, 2015). As a
leader, I also push myself and take up challenges, as it will help me to be a better
leader as well as set examples for the employees.
As a leader, challenges will be a part of the job (Bresler & Stake, 2017). However, it is
my responsibility to fight with the challenges and ensure to resolve as early as possible. I

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have witnessed various challenges like handling employees of different motives, cultural
diversity, resolving conflicts and most importantly staying motivated and focused.
Key aspects of my leadership journey
I have been always a geek since my childhood. I kept myself busy reading books and
comics. When I used to read biographies of great leaders, I used to dream to be a great leader
and run my own business. In fact, I used to role play to be running an organisation or a mass
in the age of 10 or 12 years. Teachers considered me to have leadership skills that made me
the monitor as well as a school captain. In the words of Erbe et al., (2016), leaders are born
with leadership skills. Hence, when I grew up I realised I have the leadership skills since
childhood and with business studies I can brush my skills that will help me to be a great
leader. Apart from that, my father was a great teacher who used to organise his duties prior
class. I noticed him to plan lessons one week earlier that would help him to execute the task
skilfully.
Result of the Gallup Strengths Finder
While performing the activities in the assessment, I have come up with various
strengths that I possess to be an effective leader. In the words of Dabke (2016), it is necessary
to understand the qualities one possess that will ensure to be an effective leader in managing
an organisation. With the use of Gallup Strengths Finder, I have self-evaluated that will
ensure that my activities will bring in changes in the business environment. The strengths that
I possessed, which will help me to be an effective leader are strategic thinking, input,
competitive nature, maximizer and significance. With strategic thinking, I can develop
alternative ways that will help me to proceed. According to Covin & Slevin (2017), people
with the ability to strategically think will find out best ways that will encourage creativity or
innovation. Input is another essential quality that will help in learning. The quality of mine

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has helped me to learn various things that will help me to be a better leader in a business
organisation. With the quality of input, I will not be afraid of taking challenges that will help
me to learn from my experiences. Competition is another quality of mine that will encourage
me to take challenges. As a maximizer, I have the ability to transform strong things to superb
ideas. This quality of mine will help me to take up competitions and bring in significant
changes in the business. These qualities will also have an impact in the significance and bring
in changes in my appraisal in the business.
Key feedback points
As I have mentioned my father was a teacher and used to lesson plan one week prior
the classes that would help him to answer the questions or doubts from the students’ end. He
has suggested me to be pre plan every action no matter how small the action may be. Pre
planning helps in sorting out every issues that one will be facing while working or execution
of the program (Yahaya & Ebrahim, 2016). Hence, with pre planning, I will be aware of the
risks and I can develop strategies that will help in resolving the issues that will be faced by
me during the time of executing the program. A friend of mine also suggested that I should
not be very serious at work and act like a typical leader. A leader must be friendly that will
help in resolving issues that are being faced by the employees while working. However, he
has suggested that being a very linen leader may also ruined the culture of the workplace.
Implications of the feedback
Feedback from experienced person will also help in the progress of work as said by
Wiley (2016). As suggested by my father, I have realised that it is necessary that I pre plan
every activity that I have to perform during the week. I have observed great changes in the
working process as well as when I have suggested employees to pre plan the entire week,
there was a tremendous growth in the productivity of the team. Moreover, task allocation

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become easier and there was hardly any escalation or failed unproductive orders. Hence, it
was evident that with pre planning there will be distinct changes in the working process. As it
has been said by Van Knippenberg, Pierro, Nevigato & Amato (2016), it is important that the
leader must develop a healthy relationship with employees that will help in better
communication. As my friend said that a leader must be friendly with his employees as it will
help in building friendly relationship with his employees. It will help the employees to share
their issues and help the leader to find ways to resolve it. According to Clarke & Higgs
(2016), an autocratic leadership hardly last as the followers tend to leave or stop following
the leaders. It is necessary that I must respect the view of my employees and consider their
opinion that will encourage healthy workplace with no or minimum conflicts. Hence, with the
feedback from my father and friend I have decided to implement these rules in the workplace.
Firstly, to pre plan and ensure every member in my team is pre planning and secondly,
develop a healthy workplace ensuring democratic leadership style. The feedbacks have highly
helped me to be a better and efficient leader.
Link to theory and conceptual frameworks
The leadership theory that has been taken up by me while being a leader is democratic
leadership. According to Alos-Simo, Verdu-Jover & Gomez-Gras (2017), a democratic
leadership is a style of leadership wherein the employee are being prioritised more in decision
making rather than the leaders himself. I have chosen this leadership style to ensure that the
employees feel free to communicate and discuss their issues with me. While working as a
team often there will be situations that may be difficult to handle. However, one must take
initiatives to resolve the issues that will be faced by the employees. The leader is the one who
can help in resolving the issues or conflicts between employees. Hence, it is necessary to
develop a good bonding with the employees that will enhance communication in the
organisation. I have ensured that the employees are responsible stakeholders in an

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organisation. As I have always wanted start a business of my own in Mongolia, it is necessary
that I understand the importance of employees and be faithful with them while working in an
organisation. It will not only help in development of the relationship with the employees but
also will ensure that there is a mutual understanding between the management and the
employees. The leader is a medium between the management and employees. Hence, with the
democratic style of leadership there will be development of communication, understanding
between the employees and management, development of relationship with employees as
well as it will be easier for leaders to sort out issues or conflicts.
Conclusion
To conclude, leadership is an important skill that helps in building a great personality
of a person. With leadership, there will be boost of confidence that will encourage the
working progress of a person. Few are born leaders and few have to develop the qualities of a
leader. However, I was glad to be born with leadership skills that needs to be polished. I have
several leadership qualities; however, with the passage of time one must also develop various
other skills that will help in meeting the needs of the employees as well as the management to
bring in changes in the organisational culture.
In the appendix, I have attached a table wherein I have planned few of the leadership
qualities that will help me to be a better leader. Communication is a big issue for me. As I am
an introvert person, it becomes difficult for me to communicate easily with everyone.
Delegation of responsibility enhances working in an organisation. I have already discussed
this prior in the assessment that employees must be provided with responsibilities; however, I
cannot be very confident while I delegate them responsibilities. Hence, I must work on my
trust issues when it comes to professionalism that will help me to be a better leader.

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Reference list
Alos-Simo, L., Verdu-Jover, A.J. & Gomez-Gras, J.M. (2017). How transformational
leadership facilitates e-business adoption. Industrial Management & Data Systems.
Antonakis, J. & Day, D.V. eds. (2017). The nature of leadership. Sage publications.
Blackwill, R.D. & Campbell, K.M. (2016). Xi Jinping on the global stage: Chinese foreign
policy under a powerful but exposed leader. Council on Foreign Relations Press.
Bresler, L. & Stake, R.E. (2017). Qualitative research methodology in music education. In
Critical Essays in Music Education (pp. 113-128). Routledge.
Burbank, Odom, & Sandlin. (2015). A Content Analysis of Undergraduate Students'
Perceived Reasons for Changes in Personal Leadership Behaviors. Journal of
Leadership Education, 14(2).
Clarke, N. & Higgs, M. (2016). How strategic focus relates to the delivery of leadership
training and development. Human Resource Management, 55(4), pp.541-565.
Covin, J.G. & Slevin, D.P. (2017). The entrepreneurial imperatives of strategic leadership.
Strategic entrepreneurship: Creating a new mindset, pp.307-327.
Dabke, D. (2016). Impact of leader’s emotional intelligence and transformational behavior on
perceived leadership effectiveness: A multiple source view. Business Perspectives
and Research, 4(1), pp.27-40.
Erbe, C., Reichmuth, C., Cunningham, K., Lucke, K. & Dooling, R. (2016). Communication
masking in marine mammals: A review and research strategy. Marine pollution
bulletin, 103(1-2), pp.15-38.
Farmer, N. (2017). The invisible organization: How informal networks can lead
organizational change. Routledge.

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Jaiswal, N. K., & Dhar, R. L. (2016). Fostering Employee Creativity through
Transformational Leadership: Moderating Role of Creative Self-Efficacy. Creativity
Research Journal, 28(3), 367-371.
Ryan, G. (2018). Introduction to positivism, interpretivism and critical theory. Nurse
researcher, 25(4), pp.41-49.
Van Knippenberg, D.L., Pierro, A., Nevigato, G. & Amato, C. (2016). Ethical leaders and
leadership effectiveness: the moderating role of individual differences in need for
cognitive closure. Rassegna di Psycologica, 33(1).
Wiley, M.R. (2016). Challenges in leadership that beset black principals in predominantly
white school communities. University of Pennsylvania.
Yahaya, R. & Ebrahim, F. (2016). Leadership styles and organizational commitment:
literature review. Journal of Management Development.
Yu, D. (2019). The Role of For-profit Educational Leadership Styles in Creating Shared
Values.

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Appendix
Skills or duties Ways to improve Time
Communication Talking in front of a mirror
or talking with employees
4-5 weeks
Delegation of
responsibilities
Delegate duties and keep a
check
2-3 weeks
Encouraging creativity Motivate, reward and
applause
-
Encouraging innovation Motivate, reward and
applause
-
Table 1: Planning template
(Source: Created by the researcher)