Reflective Journal Analyzing Leadership and Employability Skills

This reflective journal provides a detailed analysis of a student's learning experience related to leadership and employability skills. The student utilizes Kolb's Reflective Cycle to systematically evaluate their experiences during a task involving leadership and organizational success. The journal covers concrete experiences, reflective observations, abstract conceptualization, and active experimentation, highlighting improvements in communication, research, ICT, teamwork, and problem-solving skills. The student reflects on the application of these skills and identifies areas for future development, concluding with an assessment of the overall learning process and its impact on their professional development. The journal also includes references to relevant academic sources and online resources.

Reflective Journal
Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
Kolb’s Reflective Cycle...................................................................................................................1
Concrete experience...............................................................................................................1
Reflective observation............................................................................................................2
Abstract conceptualisation......................................................................................................3
Active experimentation..........................................................................................................4
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................4
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................5

INTRODUCTION
Reflective learning plays a vital role in continuing professional development of an
individuals through leading self awareness and helps to expand and emphasis more on
development of personal skills and knowledge through meaningful experience and transform
them into practical strategies. The current assignment is based on the personal reflection about
the experience and learning that are acquired during the completion of task based on leadership
and employability and study skills. Thus, to ensure proper analysis and systematic reflection on
learning earned during this task use of Kolb’s Reflective Cycle is made.
MAIN BODY
Reflective practises and learning forms a vital part of professional learning and development
through leading effective analysis of experience and knowledge gained from a task or activity
along with transforming these insights into a practical strategy and approach. The task based on
analysis of effective leadership skills and characteristic of a manager is completed by me along
with a power point presentation that evaluates the role of leadership skills and styles in success
of organisation. This experience leads to many relevant knowledge and information for me that
lead to an improvement in my overall employability and study skills. To get a better reflection
and analysis of my learning process and experience in a more systematic way use of Kolb’s
Reflective Cycle is made by me a description of which is provided below:
Kolb’s Reflective Cycle
It is model provided by David A. Kolb in 1984 that emphasis on learning from own
experience. Use of this model is made by me to ensure a systematic evaluation, analysis and
review of experience and learning get by me from the completion of task presented by me on the
leadership and employability skills (Kolb’s Learning Cycle, 2020). The four main stages of
Kolb’s Reflective Cycle are discussed below to reflect on my earning and experience get by me
from the task and presentation on leadership skills and its importance in success of an
organisation.
1

Figure 1:Kolb’s Reflective Cycle, 2020
Source: Kolb’s Reflective Cycle, 2020
Concrete experience
The current learning process and reflection is based on the doing of a task and presentation
on leadership and employability skills that lead to a enriched experience on various
employability skills like communication skills, research skills, use of information and
communication technology, team work, time and self management along with problem solving
skills. During the current task, I was needed to collect various information about the selected
leader and manager along with the role played by leadership skills in betterment and success of
organisation thus, it was the activity that lead to positive impact on my research skills. For
success of current task, I needed to work in coordination with my team and groups members that
ensures effective team work. Further, preparation of presentation was totally based on my ICT
skills. Thus, current task and presentation lead to effective and significant experience and impact
on development of my employability and study skills.
Reflective observation
During the current task many activities and experience were lead out by me that ensures
significant improvement in my employability and study skills. For instance, the completion of
current task consist of collecting authentic and reliable data and information based on role of
leaders and their skills in success of an orgnisation which was the activity and task that improved
2

my research skills. During current task a larger number of online articles and journals ate
evaluated by me that lead to better information about which content is viable and reliable for a
research and thus improves my research and other analytical skills. Beside this, first and
foremost step of current task consist of leading effective coordination among all activates and
task that need to be perform for accomplishment of a task thus, all the work was properly
bifurcated and distributed by me in small chunks and achievable gaols to ensures their timely
completion and also reduces chances of overlapping of work. Thus, it lead to improvement in my
team work and managerial skills through lauding better experience about the work distribution
and classification as per the skills and competencies.
Further, during preparation of power point presentation my ICT skills were get enhanced
and I got better opportunity to learn more about the various computer and communication
technology to ensures effective presentation of my work. Thus, it can be reflected that current
task also lead to improvement in my ICT and communication skills. Along with this, many
obstacles while selecting suitable and authentic information along with effective time
management were also encountered by me that lead to significant positive impact on my problem
solving skills through making me able to timely resolve these issues through better use of my
abilities and analytical skills.
Abstract conceptualisation
With respect to current task it can be conceptualise by me that it is plays a vital role in
leading better learning experience and enriching my skills and competencies. For example, the
collection and gathering of relevant information for ensuring authenticity and reliability of my
work is the biggest responsibility for completion of above task that was totally depended on my
research skills. Thus, best efforts are made by me to evaluate and analysis maximum number of
sites and other resources to collect most viable information. Further, data and information was
only taken from the sites and resources that have proper copyright and ensures authenticity of
data through reliable intellectual rights and reliable sources. Thus, it can be reflected by me that
current task lead to improvement in my research skills and also enhanced my knowledge and
confidence that lead to a positive impact on my communication skills.
Further, to ensure completion of task and research work along with presentation the most
viable thing was ensuring proper time management and self coordinating of all the activities.
Thus, for ensuring proper time management and coordinating all work with my team use of
3

effective planning skills and team coordinating theories were made by me that consist of use of
tuckman's team development model to ensures effective coordination. Thus, it leads to
improvement and development in my team work and managerial skills. But still some issues
reacted with chaos and confusion in team members was also encountered by me thus, for solving
these issues my ability to solve problems in an effective and timely manner without any
impediments are tested that lead to improvement and betterment in my problem solving skills.
Apart from improvement in all these employability skills, the current task also lead to betterment
in my ICT skills as I need to have effective computer and technical skills to gather and collect
relevant information form online modes further, preparation of presentation had also improved
my computer skills through leading better experience and knowledge about use of animation,
virtual affects and other technical aspects to ensures effective presentation and communication of
my task both in verbal and written form through improving my level of confidence and enriching
my overall skills and competencies. Thus, it could be conceptualised and reflected by me that
current task is viable and significant for self learning as lead to enhanced experience and better
development of my overall employability and study skills.
Active experimentation
It has been reflected and experienced by me that current task is valuable for development
of my employability skills as I developed better understanding abut the role lead by leadership
skill in success of an orgnisation. Further, a relevant research and review of articles are also
made by me for current task that improved my research skills along with use of models and
theories for ensuing better team work and coordination. Further, my ICT and communication
skills are also got improved through making presentation and transferring all relevant
information. Apart from this, improvement in my problem solving skills are also lead by this task
as many issues and obstacles associated with time management and leading coordination in team
was also faced that was solved by me through effective problem solving skills.
Effective planning was also made by me for ensuring better time and self management thus,
current task is valuable for betterment of employability and study skills but still some scope for
betterment is there. It has been evaluated by me that use of some statistical tools like Gantt Chart
and Work break down structure could also be made by me to ensure better bifurcation and
division of work that lead to more effective time management and planning for the better
completion of task. Apart from this, use of Belbin Team Roles theory could also be made by me
4

in future to ensure better distribution of work among team members as per their skills to enhance
viability and success level of futures task and activity. Further, to ensuring improvement in my
ICT skills and communication some training or learning programmes could also be implicate by
me for leading improvement and betterment in my overall employability and study skills in
future.
CONCLUSION
On the basis of above reflective journal in can be concluded that reflective learning plays a
vital role in personal and professional development through leading better analysis and review of
personal experience. Use of Kolb’s Learning cycle provides a more systematic model and
process to reflect on personal experience and learning to transform these experience in practical
strategies. A conclusion can be made that a task on evaluation of leadership skill and its role in
success of orgnisation lead to better experience and learning for development of employability
and study skills.
REFERENCES
Books and journal
Di Gregorio, A. and et. al., 2019. Employability skills for future marketing professionals.
European Management Journal. 37(3). pp.251-258.
Succi, C. and Canovi, M., 2019. Soft skills to enhance graduate employability: comparing
students and employers’ perceptions. Studies in Higher Education, pp.1-14.
Cotronei-Baird, V. S., 2020. Academic hindrances in the integration of employability skills
development in teaching and assessment practice. Higher Education. 79(2). pp.203-223.
Pouratashi, M. and Zamani, A., 2019. University and graduates employability. Higher
Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning.
Pereira, E.T., Vilas-Boas, M. and Rebelo, C. C., 2019. Graduates’ skills and employability: the
view of students from different European countries. Higher Education, Skills and Work-
Based Learning.
Sin, C., Tavares, O. and Amaral, A., 2019. Accepting employability as a purpose of higher
education? Academics’ perceptions and practices. Studies in Higher Education. 44(6).
pp.920-931.
Fearon, C. and et. al., 2019. Graduate employability, skills development and the UK’s
Universities Business Challenge competition: a self-determined learning perspective.
Studies in Higher Education, pp.1-18.
5

Succi, C., 2019. Are you ready to find a job? Ranking of a list of soft skills to enhance graduates'
employability. International Journal of Human Resources Development and
Management. 19(3). pp.281-297.
Online:
Kolb’s Learning Cycle. 2020. [Online] Available Through:<
https://www.pugetsound.edu/academics/experiential/create-experiential-learning-
opportunities/available-resources/creating-critical-reflection-assignments/design-
models/kolbs-learning-cycle/>.
6