Leadership Journey Reflection Report: MGT601, Country Road, Australia

This report is a reflection on the student's leadership journey as a Store Manager at Country Road, focusing on responsibilities, challenges, and the influence of mentors. It analyzes the results of the Gallup StrengthsFinder, highlighting strengths like adaptability and strategic thinking. The report explores feedback on leadership style, interpersonal, and social skills, emphasizing the importance of democratic leadership and collaboration. It also examines critical events and the implications of feedback for professional development, including the potential to become an Operations Manager. The report provides insights into how the student's leadership skills and traits contribute to the success of a company, with a focus on team management, customer service, and creating a positive organizational culture. The student also discusses the importance of adaptability and strategic thinking.

Running head: REFLECTION ON LEADERSHIP
Reflection on Leadership
Name of the student
Name of the University
Author note

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REFLECTION ON LEADERSHIP
Executive Summary
The main purpose of the report is to discuss about the responsibilities and the challenges in
the arena of leadership. The report also throws light on main aspects in relation to the
leadership journey and the results of Gallup Strengths Finder. The report also talks about the
feedback pertaining to the leadership style along with the interpersonal skills. The report also
elucidates on the significance of feedback and its importance within the framework of a
company.

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Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................3
Responsibilities and the Leadership Challenges........................................................................3
Aspects of the leadership journey..............................................................................................4
Analysis of Results of Personality Tests....................................................................................5
Feedback in relation to leadership style and interpersonal skills...............................................6
Implications of feedback and its significance............................................................................7
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................8
References..................................................................................................................................9

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Introduction
Leadership refers to research area and the practical skill that encompasses ability of a
person of guiding the individuals or the teams. Leadership is indicative of the process with
the help of which the executive influences behaviour of other people that helps them in
accomplishing the goals in a company (Conger, 2015). Leadership can be said to be the
ability of manager of inducing the subordinates so that they can work with a lot of confidence
in a company. Country Road refers to the clothing retailer that is located within Australia,
South Africa and New Zealand. Country Road produces the clothing for the men, women and
the children. The company also sells the accessories along with the footwear for the men and
the women. This report focusses on my responsibilities along with the leadership challenges
that I have to face in Country Road. The report also talks about the main aspects in relation to
the leadership journey and how they have helped in my leadership development. This report
discusses about the results of Gallup Strengths Finder that is of great significance for the
professional development of a person. This report also throws light on the feedback that I
have gained from my partner in relation to the style of leadership, interpersonal along with
the social skills. This report also talks about implications of feedback and its significance.
Responsibilities and the Leadership Challenges
In the position of the Store Manager of Country Road, I have to look after the
different areas like the sales, staff along with the resources management. I have to oversee the
running of the store in the successful manner. My role is to work on the floor of the shop and
maintain contact with the customers along with the staff. The store managers are responsible
for taking care of the fact that the retail staffs provide great customer service that can draw
people to the retail store (Antonakis & Day, 2017). I have to recruit, train and supervise the
staff that can help in the growth of the company. My responsibility in the position of the

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Store manager is to monitor financial performance of store and manage the budget. I have to
undertake the work of looking after the statistical and the financial records that can help in
the proper management of the company. I have to deal with the complaints of the customer
that can help in providing the customers with satisfaction. The Trait theory of leadership
suggests that an individual should have the personality traits that can help him in evolving as
an efficient leader (Dugan, 2017). The personality traits that I had like self-confidence and
patience helped me in dealing with the customers. The leadership challenges that I had to face
in Country Road pertains to the arena of team management. I had to face hindrances in
managing the sales associates and the customer care staff that raises difficulty for me in the
company.
Aspects of the leadership journey
There were many people who influenced me who helped me in emerging as a
successful leader. I was influenced by the senior manager of the company and his mentorship
helped me in emerging as an efficient Store Manager in Country Road. The senior manager
helped me in understanding how to be friendly with the staff and at the same time provide
valuable advice to the sales staff in the organization (Klenke, 2016). It helped me in
understanding that a leader has to act in a diplomatic manner so that he can serve his
responsibilities along the right channel. The senior manager had created a positive image in
front of the other employees and following him helped me in evolving as an efficient leader.
The senior manager told me about the expectations that the clothing retailer has from the
position of the store manager that has helped me in fulfilling my duties in the proper manner
in the company. There are certain critical events that took place in the retail company that
have helped me in learning a lot about the art of leadership. An Asian Australian had visited
the store and he was being treated badly by the people who were involved in the customer
service of the company. They were discriminating against the person and it was reported to

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the senior manager of the retail company. He came forward to offer the service to the client
and he himself offered his useful services to the particular customer.
Racism is experienced in various kinds of settings in Australia- shopping centers,
workplaces along with the educational institutions. The Asian Australians have to face the
incidents of discrimination in various spheres that makes their life difficult. The organizations
should treat all kinds of customers in a just manner and they should not discriminate on any
grounds of race, caste and religion. The senior manager coming forward to help out a
customer taught me that leaders should always be ready to serve other people that can be
instrumental in the development of a company (Western, 2019).
Analysis of Results of Personality Tests
The Gallup Strengths Finder has taught me regarding the strengths in my personality
that can pave the path for my professional development. The personality test taught me that I
have the traits of adaptability that is a strength of my personality. The results also brought out
the fact that I am strategic, restorative, includer and the activator that can set the ground for
my successful career. Flexibility is crucial in relation to the retail industry and the employees
should be flexible that can help in boosting the level of the productivity. I can take the
decisions strategically that can help in rising above the competition (Rosenbach, 2018). The
strategic decisions of a leader can help in the long-term growth of a company. The trait of
restorative can help me in understanding what is wrong that can help me in understanding
what is going wrong in the retail store (Price, 2016). The decisions of the shoppers change
on the basis of experience within retail stores and retail proves to be a challenging channel
that should be improved from time to time. There occurs constant shift in different aspects in
the retail industry and the restorative ability of the managers can act as a boon for the retail
industry (Komives, 2016). I am eager to accept the opinions along with the ideas of the other
people that can prove to be of benefit for a company. I have respect for the sales staff who

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feel under confident and I provide them with useful advice that can help in bolstering their
confidence in the retail company of Country Road. The diverse opinions of the sales staff are
appreciated by me that can act as a positive factor for the retail chain. The leader in the retail
industry should have the ability of changing the thoughts into the action that can help in
bringing profits to the retail company. I am also endowed with the personality trait of being
extraverted that can help me in maintaining co-ordination among the members of the sales
team. It can help in the area of communication that can help Country Road in becoming
successful in the long term. I am observant that can help me in judging the actions of the
other people. It can help me in understanding the positive aspects of the character of people
that can be utilised for the betterment of a company.
Feedback in relation to leadership style and interpersonal skills
I have been able to get feedback from my partner pertaining to my leadership style,
interpersonal skills, social skills along with the capabilities. It was revealed that my style of
leadership can be called democratic and I ask for the inputs from the other people before
taking any kind of crucial decision in the company. I ask for the feedback from the other
employees that can help in the developing of the company. I have the capability of
developing the vision that can help in inspiring the other people. I have the capability of
making use of the images along with the metaphors that can help in winning the confidence
of people in an organization. I can link my vision to the core values of the organization that
can work for the benefit of the employees in a company. It can help in imparting optimism
that can pave the way for the success of a company. The feedback revealed that I have the
capability of inventing that can help in devising the ways that can help in bringing the vision
to the life. Inventing can allow the materialising of the abstract ideas that can pave the path
for the success of a company. I have got the interpersonal skill of listening and collaborating
that can help me in understanding the perspective of the other people.

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The Behavioural Theory of the leader states that the behaviour of the leader can help
in predicting the success of a person in a company (Ford & Harding, 2018). They can initiate
and organize with the help of their behavioural skills which can help the company in reaching
the aim (Grint et al., 2016). The inability of listening in a proper manner can bring about
disastrous consequences for a firm. I can also work in a collaborative manner that can help
me in delivering the positive outcome for the clients along with the business. I also possess
the ability of using the body language in the proper manner that helps in providing valuable
information to the other members of the team. I can accept the criticism easily and do not try
to defend me that can pave the path for the growth of a company. On the basis of the
feedback, it was understood that I can act as a catalyst of the change that can be instrumental
in creating high performance teams in a company.
Implications of feedback and its significance
The feedback that I have got from my partner can be utilised by me that can help in
using my strengths in the proper manner. The feedback can act as a valuable source of the
information that can help me in making the significant decisions. Continuous improvement
can be achieved with the help of feedback that can be instrumental in setting the stage for the
success of a company. The feedback can help me in the formulation of the business decisions
that can create the way for success of company. The continued feedback can prove to be
critical in helping me in staying aligned with the goals that can help in improving the
relationships in a company. The feedback can aid me in my professional development that
can help me in rising in the organizational hierarchy. The feedback can help me in becoming
the Operations Manager in Country Road. The constructive feedback can help in the process
of reinforcing the positive behaviour that can help in the development of a strong
organizational culture. It can help me in learning important elements that can be a good force
for a company. The feedback can help me in my personal development that can assist in the

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area of education. It can help the learners in maximising the potential at various levels of the
training that can work for the benefit of a company. It can be instrumental in raising
awareness in people that can play an important role in improving their performance. It can act
as a motivating factor that can be linked to the element of the employee satisfaction. It can
make me feel involved that can increase the association of the employees with the company.
It can be instrumental in growing my self-esteem that can help me in attaining the goals in
my life. It can make me feel more empowered that can help me in making the best use of the
working hours in the clothing retailer, Country Road.
Conclusion
Leadership is indicative of research area that talks about the ability of the individual
which can help him in guiding teams. In the event of becoming Store Manager of the clothing
retailer, Country Road I take care of the sales and the resource management of the company.
Leadership challenges arose on Country Road as I could not manage the team in the proper
manner. I could not manage the sales associates that became a barrier for the company. The
senior manager provided me with essential help which helped me in becoming store manager.
The feedback revealed the fact that my leadership style is democratic and I look forward for
the opinions of the other people.

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References
Antonakis, J., & Day, D. V. (Eds.). (2017). The nature of leadership. Sage publications.
Conger, J. (2015). Charismatic leadership. Wiley encyclopedia of management, 1-2.
Dugan, J. P. (2017). Leadership theory: Cultivating critical perspectives. John Wiley & Sons.
Ford, J., & Harding, N. (2018). Followers in leadership theory: Fiction, fantasy and
illusion. Leadership, 14(1), 3-24.
Grint, K., Jones, O. S., Holt, C., & Storey, J. (2016). What is leadership. The Routledge
companion to leadership, 3.
Klenke, K. (2016). Qualitative research in the study of leadership. Emerald Group Publishing
Limited.
Komives, S. R. (2016). Leadership for a better world: Understanding the social change
model of leadership development. John Wiley & Sons.
Price, R. (2016). Controlling routine front line service workers: An Australian retail
supermarket case. Work, employment and society, 30(6), 915-931.
Rosenbach, W. E. (2018). Contemporary issues in leadership. Routledge.
Western, S. (2019). Leadership: A critical text. SAGE Publications Limited.