Leadership Development: Reflective Journal and Report on Skills

This assignment presents a reflective journal and report focusing on leadership skills and development. It begins with an introduction defining leadership and its importance, followed by a main body that reflects on the author's learning experiences during an educational training course. The report explores various leadership styles, including autocratic, democratic, transformational, transactional, coaching, and situational leadership, discussing their advantages, disadvantages, and practical applications. The author analyzes the impact of these styles on organizational objectives and the importance of adapting leadership approaches to different situations. The report incorporates insights gained from observations and theoretical knowledge, drawing on academic sources to support its arguments. The conclusion summarizes the key takeaways, emphasizing the significance of leadership skills for individual and organizational success. Finally, the report includes a list of references, citing relevant books and journals that informed the analysis.

Reflective Journal
and
Report

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY ..................................................................................................................................1
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................4
REFRENCES...................................................................................................................................5

INTRODUCTION
Leadership refers to an ability of a person or a group of individual to guide as well as
convince their subordinates or followers in order to conduct particular task in effective manner.
In the perspective of Martin and et.al., 2016, effective leadership style is essential for a leader to
adopt appropriate leadership style so that they can understand the situation appropriately and
develop strategies accordingly. This report is based on reflection of what a person learn about
leadership when they attend any educational course. Along with this it will also include different
leadership style and it will impact on diverse situation as well as it mention about leadership
according to view point of different authors.
MAIN BODY
While I am taking educational training in order to improving my leadership skills I lean
many things which will help me in my career growth in future. I understand that leadership skill
is essential if I want to work in an organization because through this skill I am able to understand
the situation which help me in developing decision in effective way. As per the view of MacPhee
and et.al., 2012, Leadership refers to an ability of a an individual or group to convince their
followers to conduct particular work in effectively which leads to attainment of goal. Along with
this, I also understand that leadership is essential in many ways such as help in developing
proper organization structure, maintain relationship, development of goal, motivate employees
and many more. By adopting and improving respective skills I will able to conduct various
things properly such as motivate employees so that they can do work effectively in order to attain
goal and target, develop decision according to situation that company is currently facing and
many more.
I also get to know that there are various type of leadership style which is based on
behaviour of leader and situation through which company going. According to Ang, 2012, there
are various leadership style are like autocratic, democratic, strategic, transformational, team,
transactional, cross culture, facilitative, laissez faire, coaching, charismatic and many more. I
also learn that different leadership style can be used in diverse situation such as team leadership
style can be used for developing a tram and monitor as well as guide them in order to complete
task for attaining goal. If a leader is not having proper leadership style it will directly and
indirectly impact on organization objective. This is so because leader not able to understand
1

situation properly, not able to motivate employees, not develop strategies properly and many
more. Through this I understand that it is necessary for a leader to having leadership quality so
that they able to lead the company properly and help in attaining goal and target successfully.
For the evaluation of various type of leadership style I check or go through various
articles in which I understand about kind of leadership and its advantage as well as
disadvantages. As per the view of Gibson, 2014, autocratic leadership style refers situation where
all the authority and responsibility lies among the leader of a company. According to this
leadership style leader develop decision by its own without taking suggestion form their
subordinates. By evaluating this I analysis that this leadership strategy is beneficial for a
company in several ways such as through this leaders able to develop decision quickly,
subordinates like to with these type of leader, confidential informations can remain be secret and
many more. But I also feel some disadvantages of this style such as followers feel demotivated,
employees forced to follow decision, employers not adopting innovative idea of staff. The next
leadership style is democratic leadership style and according to the view point of Park and
Millora, 2012, it refers to way of leading a team in which leader involve their subordinates in
decision making process through which employees feel motivated and connected towards
workplace. By evaluating this I understand that this style have both negative and positive
aspects. According to me benefits of respective style are it help in developing positive
environment, it create strong team, this style of leadership helpful in almost every business unit
and many other. Whereas negative impact of respective style which I have analysis are it is time
consuming procedure, it is uncertain style and so on.
The another leadership style is transformational leadership which I have personally
learned form practical experience during assessment. During class I get to know that this type of
leaders motivate others or subordinates that they can do more effective work. According to the
perspective of Frost, 2012, in order to adopt respective leadership style leaders motivate as well
as provide training to staffs so that they overcome form their weakness and help in attaining
goal. During this I understand that respective style have both advantage and disadvantages which
faced by a leader when they adopt it. Advantage which I feel while learning about this are by this
employees feel motivated and it will also reduce turnover ratio, leaders which follow respective
style are visionary and many more. Whereas corns of respective leadership style are it leads to
slow process, it promotes about hierarchy which is rigid and so on. The next leadership style
2

which I learn at educational course and that can I applicable at workplace is transactional
leadership style. In the perspective of Barraket and Yousefpour, 2013, it refers to the behaviour
of leader according to which leader are more focus on meeting expectation of employees so that
they will conduct the work in effective manner. Through this they also able to motivate
employees which encourage them to conduct work in effective way. During lecture I identify
that there are some advantages as well as disadvantages of respective style. Advantage which I
get to know about this are that through this leader can develop effective culture structure,
motivate and encourage employees, through this company able to attain small goal properly and
many more. Along with this some disadvantages which I evaluate that are employer not able to
adopt creativity after developing strategy, according to this staffs not able to get personal reward
etc.
The next leadership style which I know when I attain educational training for enhancing
leadership skill is coaching leadership style. Meaning of respective leadership style according to
Furtado and Anderson, 2012, it refers to the style of leadership in which employer provide
training as well as supervising so that employees will conduct their work in effective manner.
According to me it is very helpful for both employer and employees because through it
employees able to enhance their skills and employer able to get accomplishment of work in
effective manner. But it also have some disadvantages such as it is costly and time taking. This is
so because employers need to identify requirement and then develop training programmes
accordingly. Along with this, I also learn about come other styles of leadership such as
situational leadership style. Meaning of respective leadership style in the view point of Levine,
2014, it is the most effective leadership style because according to this leadership style leaders
able to develop or create decision according to the situation. According to me it is appropriate
leadership style for a firm because it leader able to develop decision according to the situation
which currently company is facing. There are several advantage and disadvantages which I
understand during learning. Advantages are like through it leader able to improve
communication, motivate employees, resolve issues properly and many more. Where some major
limitation which I get to know are that this process is time consuming, it is also very hectic for
employer to develop decision according to every situation and many more.
According to Levine, 2014, a person learn various things through observation which help
them in attaining their goal as well as objective. While I am attending class I learn many
3

theoretical things and its applications but along with this I learn several essential things through
observations. Such as I observation I learn that how a my trainer effectively handling whole
class without any issues. As well as I also learn the ways they solve issues and problems of other
with their effective communication skills. Along with this through observing I also learn that
how to understand other's view points by listening them properly.
CONCLUSION
From above discussed point it can be conclude and analysis that when an individual attain
any educational courses they learn many things such as they lean benefits and effectiveness of
leadership which is essential for organization as well as education institute. Moreover, leadership
is very essential because through it n individual able to understand situation effectively which
help in developing situation. Through effective leadership style leader also able to motivate as
well as guide their subordinates which leads to accomplish of work in effective way. There are
various type of leadership style which can be adopt by a leader such as autocratic, democratic,
transformational, transactional and many more.
4

REFRENCES
Books and journals
Martin, G., & et.al., (2016). School leader internship: Developing, monitoring, and evaluating
your leadership experience. Routledge.
MacPhee, M., & et.al., (2012). An empowerment framework for nursing leadership
development: supporting evidence. Journal of Advanced Nursing. 68(1). 159-169.
Ang, L. (2012). Leading and managing in the early years: A study of the impact of a NCSL
programme on children’s centre leaders’ perceptions of leadership and
practice. Educational Management Administration & Leadership. 40(3). 289-304.
Gibson, A. (2014). Principals’ and teachers’ views of spirituality in principal leadership in three
primary schools. Educational Management Administration & Leadership. 42(4). 520-
535.
Park, J. J., & Millora, M. L. (2012). The relevance of reflection: An empirical examination of the
role of reflection in ethic of caring, leadership, and psychological well-being. Journal of
College Student Development. 53(2). 221-242.
Frost, D. (2012). From professional development to system change: teacher leadership and
innovation. Professional development in education. 38(2). 205-227.
Barraket, J., & Yousefpour, N. (2013). Evaluation and social impact measurement amongst small
to medium social enterprises: Process, purpose and value. Australian Journal of Public
Administration. 72(4). 447-458.
Furtado, L., & Anderson, D. (2012). The reflective teacher leader: An action research
model. Journal of School Leadership. 22(3). 531-568.
Levine, T. C. (2014). The use of blogging in tertiary healthcare educational settings to enhance
reflective learning in nursing leadership. Journal for nurses in professional
development. 30(6). 287-295.
Madsen, S. R. (2012). Women and leadership in higher education: Current realities, challenges,
and future directions. Advances in Developing Human Resources. 14(2). 131-139.
Moon, J. A. (2013). A handbook of reflective and experiential learning: Theory and practice.
Routledge.
Jones, S., & et.al., (2014). Synthesising theory and practice: Distributed leadership in higher
education. Educational Management Administration & Leadership. 42(5). 603-619.
5