University Leadership Module: Self-Reflection Essay on Leadership

This essay delves into the multifaceted nature of leadership, exploring various leadership theories and models, including the Kurt Lewin model, the Blake-Mouton Managerial Grid, and goal-setting approaches. The author reflects on their personal leadership style, informed by a Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) evaluation. The essay examines different leadership attributes, such as idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, individual consideration, contingent rewards, management by expectation, and laissez-faire leadership, providing insights into how these attributes manifest in the author's approach. The author provides a comprehensive overview of leadership, encompassing both theoretical frameworks and practical applications, and emphasizes the importance of integrating diverse approaches to achieve effective leadership within an organizational context.

Running head: SELF REFLECTION ON LEADERSHIP
SELF REFLECTION ON LEADERSHIP
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author Note:

1SELF REFLECTION ON LEADERSHIP
Running an organization is in need of many attributes, and all these attributes are
needed to be properly aligned. There are various layers in an organization, and all these
conjointly contribute to the success of an organization. However, there is a need of a
mediator, who will be undertaking the whole process and who will ensure that the alignment
among the various attributes and these various layers are properly maintained, and this is the
role of an organizational leader. Therefore, the role of a leader is required many attributes, to
maintain all the aspects and to successfully manage the organizational conducts. I have
always found that the role of a leader is more like the choral director of an orchestral
performance, who maintains and organizes the whole performance program, and who has the
knowledge of almost all the aspects of an orchestral performance. Similarly, the leader of an
organization, also has to know about almost all of the aspects and most understand the
various attributes attached to his or her positions and thus, maintain the organizational
conducts. Therefore, to propound the definition of leadership, it can be stated that, a leader is
a person, who can guide and provide the employees the understanding regarding the
organizational conducts, organizational goals and organizational values. The leader is the one
who motivates the employees, and induce within them an organizational behavioural aspect
(Grint et al. 2016). Leadership, can be defined as a process or a system, whereby, the leaders
are to guide, and inspire, influence and direct the employees. The leadership is a process of
maintaining a balance and a communication system between the employees and the
managers.
The organization, I am associated with presently, I have been wiring with it, for past one
and a half years, in the position of a team leader. In the last organization, I was working in a
similar position as well. While working, I have understood that there are various attributes
and layers that are attached to the concept of leader and leadership. The first important aspect

2SELF REFLECTION ON LEADERSHIP
of being a leader is possessing the characteristics of a leader, and the position of leadership is
characterised by,
 Being an influencer to the employees.
 Having the zeal and the positivity to accomplish the organizational goals and
therefore, inspiring the employees of the organization to the same.
 The leader is also required to maintain a positive work place or work environment
within the organizational setup, and employ a positive communication system within
the organizational structure (Pava. 2015).
While including a leadership strategy I have perceived that there are certain effective
ways to establish a good leadership system within the organizational set up, the following
steps must be included in the leadership approach and further must be practiced. Therefore,
the steps are,
 Maintaining a relation of trust and confidence with the employees.
 Employing an effective communication system within the organizational structure.
 Understanding the organizational strategies and further employing thee team strategy
according to that.
 Providing the employees with a vision and a set of organizational goal which are
aligned with their personal goal structures (Northouse. 2017).
These are the some of the most effective ways to have the leadership structure incorporated
into the system.
However, in this essay, I would like to focus on the approaches or theories of
leadership and the models of leadership, and further I will provide my personal understanding
of the leadership structure.

3SELF REFLECTION ON LEADERSHIP
Various theorists have, over the time, provided, different models of leadership
structure and have defined and explained the process of leadership differently. The most
effective and best practiced approach of the leadership is the Kurt Lewin model of leadership
theory. The thirst have provided three basic types of leadership approach, namely the
Autocratic leadership, Democratic leadership and the Laissez Faire.
Autocratic Leadership: The autocratic leadership process refers to involving decision making
process, whereby the leaders do not involve the subordinates or the employees into the
decision making process. The autocratic leaders do not involve the suggestions of the
employees, even id they are valuable, and most of the times, the employees do not have the
minimum awareness of the decision making process (Day. 2014). This form of leadership is
often observed to have impacted positively upon the organizational performance, however,
this form of leadership is very demotivating, for the leaders.
Democratic or Participative Leaders: The democratic leadership refers to the system of
leadership, where the employees are involved into the decision making process. Though in
most of the situations, the final decision is made by the leaders themselves, however, the
decision making process is often influenced by the inputs and the suggestions of the
employees or the subordinates. The employees or the subordinates are provided with
provisions, whereby, they can employ their own innovation and skill for better performance
(McCleskey. 2014). In a democratic leadership structure, there is an effective and continuous
communication system between the leaders and the employees and the employees are always
conveyed with the information, of approaching changes or changes in the decision making
process. Therefore, this results into a satisfaction of both the employees and the leaders.
Laissez Faire or Delegate Approach: The laissez faire approach of leadership, stand opposed
to the practice of the autocratic leadership approach. In a laissez faire leadership approach,

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the employees are given with enough freedom, they can take up the tasks and plan for the
projects according to their understanding and they can employ skills, as per their
understanding (Carter et al. 2015). The leaders of the organization do not get involved with
the works of the employees, they only provide the support and the resources to fulfil their
work. However, such an approach often motivates the employees, but it is observed that such
an approach of leadership, often affects the organizational performance (McCleskey. 2014).
In most of the organizations, the Kurt Lewin model of leadership approach is
incorporated and observed, however I personally believe, that in order to be a perfect leaders
or in order to practice an effective and sound method of leadership, all these three approaches
and attributes must be employed within the organizational setup, in a perfect manner. An
effective leaders must understand the fine lines, and included all three of these approaches
into the strategic management of the leadership approach, to institute an effective team and
increase the performance of the team as well as the organizational performance.
The Blake- Mouton Managerial Grid is also an effective tool and planning strategy for
the management of leadership. The Blake- Mouton leadership grid upholds the appropriate
and the most effective leadership style can be impactful for the management of the employees

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and the organizational process. The Grid planning shows two types of leadership approach, or
leadership styles, one is the task oriented approach and the other is people oriented approach
(Garg, and Jain. 2013). The task oriented approach refers to a structured leadership process,
where, the leaders is more likely to distribute and distinguish a structured role system among
the employees, and the tasks are properly distributed to the employees as per their roles
(Landis, Hill, and Harvey. 2014). The leaders, following this particular approach, are more
task driven and focus basically on the process of tasks getting done, and further employ a
monitoring system in order to ensure that the tasks are properly conducted, they differentiate
among the roles and responsibilities.
On the other hand, the people oriented approach refers to the process of organizing
the team and ensuring an increased team cohesion, to better the organizational performances.
The people oriented leaders are more focused on employing a good communication system
within the team and maintain the work place ambience (Landis, Hill, and Harvey. 2014). This
particular approach is more focused on improving the work place relationship as it is the key
to a successful management of the teams.
However I believe tat an integration of these two approaches will provide better
results, although, according to me the people oriented approach is more preferable and
effective than the task oriented approach.
Also, a goal approach of the leadership is also very effective. The goals approach
theory states that the leaders must include different approaches while managing a team and a
managing the employees. The basic notion of this theory is that each employees possess
different skill sets and the capability of the employees also vary. Therefore, the leaders must
include different approaches to address the employees and then motivate them to work. Here,

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the theory proposes that, the leaders are supposed to be more goal oriented. Therefore, this
theory enables a person to include a better approach, to manage the leadership.
Upon the discussion of the various form of leadership theories and leadership models, I
would like to reflect upon the leadership style and approach that, I practice at my
organization. To discuss upon my leadership approach, I have underwent a leadership
evaluation process, and my reflection is driven by the results of the test. The test was based
on the leadership attributes and approaches that I execute, or are attached with mu
behavioural aspects. Therefore, the test was divide in various aspects. There were seven
different attributes associate, namely, the Idealized influence, the inspirational motivation, the
intellectual stimulations, the individual consideration, the contingent rewards, management
by expectation and the laissezz faire leadership attributes. As observed in the evaluative test, I
have scored an 8 in the attribute of idealized influence, which is moderate as per the
evaluative test. Therefore, this refers that the behaviour I instil among my employees or my
team members, do not provide them enough opportunities to take pride in the fact that they
are associated with me. However, I do not wish to instil within them such an idea that they
must be very proud to have associated with me, I would only like them to feel motivated, by
working with me.
I have scored a 10, in the attribute of inspirational motivations, which is a quite high
score, and I am honesty happy with such a review, as the main motto of every leaders
should be to feel his or her team members motivated.
I have scored a 12 in the intellectual stimulation category, which is the highest score.
The intellectual stimulation refers to having the team members think in a different
way, and essentially refers to encourage them to employ innovation into the
organizational systems and conducts.

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In individual consideration I have ran 11, which is also a pretty high score. This refers
to the fact that I give space to my team members and encourage them to employ their
own understanding first. Also, this refers to the fact, that I monitor the works of every
employees and especially to those who are weaker than the rest.
In the contingent reward management process, I have scored a 10, which, as
mentioned already, is a high score. This refers to the fact that I employ an effective
reward management procedure, to motivate my employees and channelize their work.
The reward management process is indeed an important aspect of the management, in
any organization.
In the category of management by expectation, I have scored a 7, which is a moderate
score as per the evaluative form. This refers to the fact that the leadership skills I
show and practice are not as told or mentioned by the management structure of my
organization. I truly feel that it is better to approach the team members, by deviating
the management rules and procedures. This results into an increased bonding both the
employees and an informal relationship, which is characterised by loyalty and
cohesiveness, and both of these are needed to maintain the organizational conduct.
Lastly, in the Laissez- faire leadership, I have scored a 4 which is a low score. As per
my belief the laissez faire attitude is very impactful on the organizational conducts
and it creates a disorientation within the team and an employee unrest situation within
the same.
Therefore, as the evaluation form has propounded, I am very happy with my leadership
skill. I try to maintain a balance between the Kurt Lewin model and the Blake- Mouton
Managerial Grid, as I believe that, to be a leader both a constraining and a restitutive
approach is important.

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References:
Carter, D.R., DeChurch, L.A., Braun, M.T. and Contractor, N.S., 2015. Social network
approaches to leadership: An integrative conceptual review. Journal of Applied
Psychology, 100(3), p.597.
Day, D.V. ed., 2014. The Oxford handbook of leadership and organizations. Oxford Library
of Psychology.
Garg, S. and Jain, S., 2013. Mapping leadership styles of public and private sector leaders
using Blake and Mouton leadership model. Drishtikon: A Management Journal, 4(1), p.48.
Grint, K., Jones, O.S., Holt, C. and Storey, J., 2016. What is leadership. The Routledge
companion to leadership, p.3.
Landis, E.A., Hill, D. and Harvey, M.R., 2014. A synthesis of leadership theories and
styles. Journal of Management Policy and Practice, 15(2), p.97.
McCleskey, J.A., 2014. Situational, transformational, and transactional leadership and
leadership development. Journal of Business Studies Quarterly, 5(4), p.117.
Northouse, P.G., 2017. Introduction to leadership: Concepts and practice. Sage Publications.
Pava, M., 2015. Leading with meaning: Using covenantal leadership to build a better
organization. St. Martin's Press.

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