Book Review of Leadership Skills: MGMT 601 Course Assignment

This assignment is a book review of "Leadership Skills" by Sean McPheat, utilizing the Gibbs Reflective Cycle to analyze the book's content. The review covers the author's insights on leadership skills, different leadership styles (autocratic, democratic, bureaucratic), the traits of a good leader, and the role of leadership in team building. The review includes a description of the book's contents, the student's feelings before, during, and after reading, an evaluation of the book's writing, and an analysis of key concepts. The student reflects on their initial perceptions of leadership, clarifies misconceptions, and identifies the impact of personality types on leadership abilities. The review emphasizes the importance of understanding leadership in fostering positive working environments and building effective teams. The student also highlights how the book helped them to understand the role of the Gibbs cycle in the review of events and happenings.

Book Review

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
Description.......................................................................................................................................1
Feelings............................................................................................................................................3
Evaluation........................................................................................................................................4
Analysis............................................................................................................................................5
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................5
Action Plan.......................................................................................................................................5
.........................................................................................................................................................6

INTRODUCTION
Book review is refers as the process of determining aspects covered in different chapters.
The topic regarding which information was covered in book is Leadership Skills. The importance
of reviewing any book aid in ascertaining the view point of author towards topic along with
contribution in future workings towards the direction of improvement or development. This will
provides an opportunity in effective application of concepts in attainment of successive
criterion's. The model that will be beneficial in direction of reviewing is known as Gibbs
Reflective cycle. This is the important model that not only help to ascertain the views of author
in relation to topic but also provides an opportunity in focusing over their own feelings. The
benefit ascertained from the use of this model that help to integrate their on views with the
coverings of author that aid in determining future actions. This will help in fast functioning and
restricting the common errors in future that arose during normal course. The actual application of
this model covers six different stages includes description, feelings, evaluation, analysis,
conclusion and action plan. Its effective implementation in true sense help in completion of
proper reflective review. The name of the author who write down this book named Leadership
Skills is Sean McPheat. He is the founder and managing director of management development
specialists. The reason behind selecting this book for review is its deep coverage about
leadership topic. The aspects which are covered under this includes leadership skills, important
traits have by good leader, different leadership styles, role of leadership in building effective
team etc.
Description
This is the section that includes the background information related to the topic. All the
necessary information is provided in to the point manner. This information is authentic in nature
and includes the main aspects which will be further analysed to ascertain the view of author
along with authenticity in terms of our own point. This will provides an opportunity to reader in
easy identification of topic along with concepts going to be cover in below part. The thought of
the wheel in consideration to all stages is review of event or happening in light of determining
good and bad points that will aid further in non repetition of old mistakes.
Currently, one of the book was read out by me named as Leadership Skills. The lots of
experiences are gathered during the process of reading, related to leadership aspects and its
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contribution in development of a person. These are further evaluated properly through the use of
Gibbs cycle in determining the aspects learned and contributed towards overall development of
personality.
In starting, I read out about leadership skills. Here, information was ascertained regarding
their functioning in effective completion of work on time. The different attributes covered under
this includes motivation and direction of others towards performance of particular functions.
These will help others in driving on correct path that lead towards achievement of success in
future. Also, information was gathered related to the concept that sometimes person's are born
leader. Here, mentioned that it is totally depends over the background and education. The family
of a person have good leadership skills, traits and attributes then all these were naturally
transferred to their child that aid to become successive in future. The different important traits
which are must to have by leader includes integrity, sincerity, substantive and consistency. It also
determined that presence of all these traits help the leader to be more committed towards mission
and vision of an organisation. The role of leader is different from the manager of an organisation.
Leader performs the role of guiding, directing and motivating of employees within an
organisation whereas manager has the role related to allocation of duties in accordance to their
roles and capabilities. It was determined that role of leader is much wider in scope as compared
to manager and positive in nature too. The effect of personality style is also have impact over the
abilities of leader along with performance. This will be understood from the point that if leader is
considerate towards work then this will automatically passes of energy to employees irrespective
to the application of any type of motivational framework.
From the reading, determined that number of different styles are exist related to
leadership that have different functioning along with advantages and disadvantages. These are
named as autocratic, democratic and bureaucratic leadership styles. The presence of situation
within an organisation played the important role in selecting leadership style. Autocratic style of
leadership is non liberate in nature. Here, options are not provided to employees regarding
providence of their views and actions. They just have to follow the directions of leader.
Democratic style of leadership is totally different from autocratic. This includes the adherence of
approach where all treated equally. Here, opinion of each and everyone is considered before
taking any decision by leader. The support of this style ascertain in the manner of higher
employee engagement and trust over the functioning of an organisation along creation of positive
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working culture. Bureaucratic style of seems like autocratic in functioning but totally different in
nature. This is about performance of fix official duties by the employees provided by the perfect
hierarchy of authority exist within an organisation. The main concern behind the application of
this is about creation of system within an organisation related to adherence of management rules
and decision making. The benefit ascertained from the implementation of this culture is
establishing common values, ethics and norms that removes the aspect of favouritism and biases
from the organisation. This will aid in formulating positive working culture where all employees
can complete their allocated duties within given time period with the help of each other. There
are many other advantages which are differentiates this from the concept of autocratic like
centralized duties and roles, promotion of the creativity of higher authorities, high level of job
security and always application of best practices.
Also, determined from the reading of book that role of leadership in team building is
prime. The basic criterion aid in development of team is consideration of each others view point.
So, usage of democratic style of leadership is the best in relation to formation of good and
effective teams that are able to perform operations in team.
Feelings
The lots of aspects are read out by me related to leadership. Here, the different
phenomenons where leadership can be used to improves the functioning includes team building,
creating positive working environment, higher employee engagement, long term employee
retention and employee satisfaction.
Before to the reading of book, I have doubts regarding the wider scope of leadership. I
am not able to think that leadership will aid in building competent team. Also, I have perception
that managerial role is much more wider and important then leadership. Initially, I have the
knowledge regarding only two leadership styles. I never heard about bureaucratic style of
leadership. The two about I have information were autocratic and democratic. I have the
perception that person can be tuned as leader only after ascertaining knowledge. There was no
idea about the traits have by leader from birth due to the background of family. I have only
feeling before reading to the book that leader is the person that help employees at time of their
difficulties and aid in completion of their targets.
While, I started to read out the book, lots of misconception about this topic were cleared
from my mind. From the very starting of reading I learned about the concept of born leaders due
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to the factors like family background and education. Here, I learned that family background
creates the environment where children’s adopt same and develops the characteristics that further
will be used in case of performing any type of function. This would be the reason that person can
be turned out as born leader. There are many aspects were read out during the period of book
reading includes leadership skills, traits have by leader, who will be a born leader, effect of
personality type over leadership, role of leadership in team building, different leadership styles
etc. Lots of time was involved in reading all the aspects covered in book. Somehow able to
completely read out whole book along with determining wider scope of leadership.
After the reading of book, many concepts were cleared. I learned that successful leaders
were those that have self control and flexible in nature. This provides the opportunity in direction
of analysing different situations and adoption of various leadership styles. Successful leaders not
stuck to the single approach of leadership, they always made changes in their offerings and
allows the employees to feel comfortable at workplace. The new determinant learned by me after
the reading of book was the impact of personality type over leadership ability. I am able to relate
this concept with the point of born leaders. This is so because some styles and characteristics are
developed from the very beginning of childhood. So, personality of conservatism negatively
effects the ability to team up with others in understanding and fulfilment of their needs. I also
understood about the important role of leadership in building effective team. I learned that good
team will be developed if able to value the opinions of all and the same can be done though
effective application of democratic leadership style.
Evaluation
This book was written properly. All the aspects related to leader were covered. After the
reading of book all misconceptions were cleared and improved my concept towards leadership
(Eva and et. al., 2019). I clearly understand the positive nature of leadership which was totally
different from the perspective of management. I understood that concept of leadership was much
wider then management. The aspects which were covered in leadership includes guiding,
directing, motivating, satisfying of employees along with creation of positive and friendly
working environment where are stood for each other in completing their individual and
organisational targets (Fritz and van Knippenberg, 2019). The improved understanding of mine
clearly depicts the level of intellectual standards used by author in writing of book. There are lots
of standards required to adhere in process of writing includes clarity, informative, conceptual,
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points of view, assumptions, implications and interpretations (Lemoine, Hartnell and Leroy,
2019).
Clarity the first standard which was followed by author as all the different aspects related
to cover separately without their integration in single topic. Other two standards followed by
author includes informative and conceptual. It was termed as informative because all the
necessary information related to the topic of leadership was covered under different headings.
The aspect of conceptual in nature is justified because not only help to grab the information on
topic but clearly depicts its integration with organisational working in different scenario's (Putra
and Cho, 2019).
Analysis
The most interesting section of book is the one, where I was able to understand that
personality types have impact over leadership abilities of a person along with determination
about the concept of born leaders (MacBeath, 2019). The proper reading of both aspects cleared
out the interrelation with each other as personality types will be developed because of the values
ascertained from childhood. So, it was clear in my mind that both aspects integrally and
individually have impact over concept of leadership (Woodward, Shaffakat and Dominé, 2019).
One of the example that help to clear out this concept is present as the person who was lived in
poor condition in childhood has automatically the personality type of money saving and
readjusting the things so he can ascertain optimum use. This will definitely seen in person when
performing the work of leader within an organisation to readjust the things and optimally utilise
all the resources is expense of least cost.
Conclusion
On the basis of the content covered in book, I am able to attain the positive experience
regarding the topic of leadership. This improves my learning towards the concept of leadership
along with functioning in development of positive working culture and effective employees
within an organisation. I understood the role of leader is main in building organisation successful
as compared to manager. Leaders are those personnels that are able to build effective team that
presents as strength of an organisation in its difficult time and work towards accomplishment of
goals in every situation.
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Action Plan
There are number of steps which will be required to take in effective implementation of
grabbed information over my future workings includes;
While perform work within an organisation then must choose to adopt democratic style
of leadership. This is because it help in improvement of creativity at working along with
attainment of trust of employees.
Also, try to adopt and integrate all the important traits of leader in functioning of any type
of work includes integrity, sincerity, substantive and consistency. This help to improve my
success rate in future workings.
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REFERNCES
Books and Journals
Eva, N. and et. al., 2019. Servant leadership: A systematic review and call for future
research. The Leadership Quarterly. 30(1). pp.111-132.
Fritz, C. and van Knippenberg, D., 2019. Gender and Leadership Aspiration: Supervisor Gender,
Support, and Job Control. Applied Psychology.
Lemoine, G. J., Hartnell, C. A. and Leroy, H., 2019. Taking stock of moral approaches to
leadership: An integrative review of ethical, authentic, and servant leadership. Academy
of Management Annals. 13(1). pp.148-187.
MacBeath, J., 2019. Leadership for learning. In Instructional Leadership and Leadership for
Learning in Schools (pp. 49-73). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
Putra, E. D. and Cho, S., 2019. Characteristics of small business leadership from employees’
perspective: A qualitative study. International Journal of Hospitality Management. 78.
pp.36-46.
Woodward, I. C., Shaffakat, S. and Dominé, V. H., 2019. Uncovering, Understanding,
Unleashing, Overcoming: Exploring Drivers and Blockers in Leadership Development
Practice. In Exploring Leadership Drivers and Blockers (pp. 71-87). Palgrave
Macmillan, Singapore.
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