Leadership Reflective Journal: Personal Reflections on Leadership

This reflective journal delves into a student's personal journey of understanding and developing leadership skills. The student begins by acknowledging a limited initial understanding of leadership, which was expanded through lectures and coursework. The journal explores various aspects of leadership, including different leadership styles (transformational vs. transactional, product-centric vs. people-centric), and the importance of communication, motivation, and conflict resolution. The student reflects on their own leadership style, identifying strengths and areas for improvement, and discusses how they've applied these concepts in school and during internships. The journal highlights the importance of continuous learning, organizational skills, and understanding what motivates individuals. Furthermore, it emphasizes the significance of self-awareness, taking constructive criticism, and developing a balanced approach to task management and interpersonal relationships, concluding with a commitment to ongoing self-improvement and the refinement of leadership capabilities.

Running head: LEADERSHIP
Leadership
Reflective Journal
Name of Student:
Student ID:
Name of University:
Author’s Note:

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Leadership is stated to be one of the important factors of learning that everybody needs
to go through. It is something that according to me enhances a person’s skill and quality and
makes him understand what requires in being a true leader. It allows him to identify the traits that
are important in being a leader. I was unaware of many facts related to leadership before I
attended the lectures on the same. The common notion about leadership for me was to lead a
team, command orders and rip the benefits of a skilled team. However, it is through the lectures
in which I got to know that leadership is not only about leading a team but also his true ability in
influencing them towards attaining a particular set of goals. There are so many sides to a leader
and his ways of doing leadership, establishing relationship with others and getting the best out of
them, even in adverse situations. The ways they initiate things, make choices and behave in
specific manner are something that requires proper understanding of the ways leaders function.
This was mainly about gaining an insight about the history of leadership and the ways it
evolved over the years. I have seen so many films that depicted leadership during the times of the
kings and the queens that use to illustrate the fact that leaders have always been the ones who
lead from the from and are not hesitant in taking risks. I have also learnt that the potential leaders
thrive under challenging situations where they get to showcase their skills and able to perform
at their best level. I have heard people saying it is important to watch and learn, but then to watch
and learn one should have the proper knowledge to understand exactly what is going on.
This was probably the time I observed that I know so little about such a broad topic like
leadership. Various forms of leadership and their styles, the way they function and the
differences in the way they behave is something that amazed me. I even got to know the several
aspects of the leadership that is significant in understanding the basics of leadership. We get to
know so much about the different leaders existing in the world of business like Jeff Bezos of

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Amazon, Larry page of Google or for in that matter Howard Schultz of Starbucks. However, it is
important to understand whether these leaders have been product-centric or people-centric.
This is the time I was able to connect the leaders like Steve Jobs and Barack Obama whether
them being transformational or transactional. It became easy for me to understand that Steve
Jobs has been transformational for his passion to drive for perfection, challenging his employees
in thinking beyond the normal thought. Bill gates, the computer tycoon and the billionaire
philanthropist has been a transactional leader which I found out after understanding the different
traits a transactional leader should have. He is influential, strict and a confrontational
taskmaster driving a high-stress environment for work.
I had one mis-concept about leadership that it is only possible when someone is holding a
stronger position. However, through the lectures I got to reveal that leadership is not about any
position but a fiduciary calling. Not everytime, it is the position that brings out the leadership
qualities within you, but the zeal to do something good for others or the community at large is
what identifies a true leader. Another thing that I misinterpreted is the fact that leadership takes
place only hierarchically in the organization, which is not what it is actually. Big organizations
have it at different levels.
After coming to terms with the different styles and forms of leadership, I try and identify
myself as the kind of leader I am or I could be in future. I understand the fact that
communications, motivation along with accommodation are essential features of a leader and
those leaders are being termed as transformational. My strengths generally leads to the
intellectual leadership character and my apprehension for the people indicates towards a stronger
transformational style of leadership. I have tried and reviewed my style of leadership in the
school days. I was more of people who avoided conflict through the process of communicating

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with the others and tried understanding their objectives, issues and associate them accordingly
with the goal of the team. For avoiding conflict on various occasions by the process of
accommodation and compromise, I at times forfeited the job at hand along with the mission.
Since the initiation of this program, I have tried and improve on my ability of resolving conflicts
and not accommodating until the situation demands it.
My own observation has been that I am being more effective in the charismatic style of
leadership. From the time of initiation till the end, I have tried and maintained a balanced
advancement in taking care of the task along with the people. I am capable enough in convincing
people for completion of the task by the process of motivating them through the process of
appeal and affinity. This course has enabled me to understand that learning does not stop at any
point of time. It is through this course that I have learned that leaders need to be organized; they
need to set bigger visions instead of small ones for a shorter period of time. During the initial
days of being a leader, people tend to struggle with lack of confidence and the organizational
skills. Another issue that crops up is keeping the daily plan focused on the task. During school
days, I used to take my time for granted, not setting vision for my future purpose and thinking of
doing too many things in a shorter period of time. Now I understand that is not the right way to
go about things. I started realizing that being organized is the foremost thing that budding leaders
should do. It is not all the time that I would be thinking like others, but there is a place for me too
in the world.
I have understood the fact that individuals are being motivated by several stimuli. Some
are being motivated by the intrinsic requirements and some of the others by the extrinsic ones.
My general belief has been that great leaders are in the habit of taking their time in intimately
knowing his elements and learning the things that motivates each of his subordinates. During one

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of my surveys in one of the organization there was a role play where I was given the opportunity
to be the leader and I asked all the employees the things that motivates them the most and keeps
them driving for better results. The answers to my question were all different, though
surprisingly no one mentioned about the factor of more money. There was one lady who was
suffering from breast cancer, I was eager to know what actually motivates her in striving for
regular perfection.
I have always been amazed by the things we learn about ourselves at the time of making
difficult decisions. During the course of this study, I have been learning a lot of things about
leadership. For instance, I have constantly had the predisposition of taking firm control of a
situation, however, I have not always been conscious of the way it might impact others. For
example, when being assigned with a group project, I might jump in and take out the lion’s
share. Some of the group members do welcome this as they have to take less burden, while
others might feel offended and at times undervalued too. The reflection has helped me in making
a mental note of self in backing off a bit when I sense the urge in taking over the projects.
As a leader, I would always prefer to take a neat along with orderly advancement of
solving issues. Even during group presentations and other team works, I take into account the
strengths of various individuals and position them accordingly for them to perform optimally. I
try and approach conflict with diplomacy and try to see changeable perspectives while trying to
determine the conflict. Interacting with others is one of the important things that good leaders do
from time to time. I too am focusing on this factor in solving the issues and respect the numerous
perspectives that others have been bringing to association.

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Assertiveness is an attribute that I have liked from my school days, being direct with the
individuals or the groups when the situation calls for insolence. Under the present circumstances,
I am aware of the interconnectedness existing within the organizations and be predisposed in
planning and thinking ahead in anticipating the issues and devise plans accordingly. During him
internship, the employees I interacted with have told me that they have found it easy and
comfortable in sharing things with me and that I have been a good listener, something a good
leader needs to have. Irrespective of my position I tried to understand the issues they face at
workplace.
As I have grown up and become matured, I have become much detail oriented. I try and
focus on details and be critical of the others work and indulge them in suggesting something if
they find issues in mine too. During my younger days, it was sometimes very difficult to temper
my thoughts and control my emotions and notice that I was being critical at times. Over the due
course of time, I have worked conscientiously in overcoming the debilitation and have
perceived big strides and developments.
I have noticed that at times I become way too passionate about my work and if I am being
criticized for something at that point of time, I take that too much to heart. For being able to gain
the required perspective, I need to work diligently in taking criticism profitably and use it for
my own benefit when it comes to certain projects that I am working on. And for the factor of
being overly critical or complex at times, I have focused on working in taking criticism
constructively and now I am much better at that than I was during my younger days.
It can be concluded that I aspire to improve on a regular basis and never give up under
any circumstances. The foundations of who I want to be as a leader has already been laid and

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the fundamentals are being positioned accordingly. The focus for me is to regularly fine tune
my leadership skills and enhance it as per the industry standards. During the course of this study
it was important to reflect on the things that I was coming to terms with, something that I knew
and something which I was learning for the first time.

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