Leadership Theory and Practice
Leadership is usually perceived as an inherent quality, and for this reason, many people believe that one cannot learn to be a successful leader as these are acquired traits. However, several things can be done to enhance leadership skills, including the change in behaviors and taking part in different activities that are known for enhancing leadership skills. To improve leadership skills, determination, and focus are required in order to acquire the most relevant skills that are important to every leader. For instance, integrity is an essential trait for every leader, but it is not inherent. This means that leaders should work hard to gain integrity and incorporate it into daily activities. This analysis focus on establishing a strategy of optimizing my leadership effectiveness with the help of theoretical models.
Leadership Theory
The plan to enhance the leadership, in this case, will focus on the enhancement of the behaviors by adopting the best practices and altering the behavior in order to fit the various setting in the bigger society. The behavior assumes an integral role in shaping one’s behavior because leaders are made rather than born. If a person’s skills and behaviors do not fit in a specific context in society, such a person cannot lead a group of persons in that community. Leadership encompasses a combination of skills and behaviors that are rare in other people. The leadership theory that supports the plan is the behavioral theory of leadership, which ascertains that good leaders are made. In light of this theory, a person can learn certain skills and behaviors associated with good leadership to be a competent leader. Furthermore, this could explain why colleges offer courses that help people develop leadership skills (Empowerment, Index, & Model, 2017). The behavioral theory considers the noticeable reactions and actions of the subordinates and leaders in a given scenario. This theory concentrates on how leaders behave and infer that leaders are made instead of born, and effective leadership is founded on definable, acquirable behavior. This theory focuses on the actions of the leaders instead of their traits. Various behavior patterns are viewed and grouped as leadership styles. This area has captured the attention of the majority of the current managers. This theory supports the idea presented in the plan to improve leadership effectiveness because it confirms that the alteration of one’s behavior and actions can be perceived as a practical approach to enhancing leadership skills.
Leadership Strengths and Weaknesses
The area of my strength was in the transformational leadership and transactional leadership because I scored high in all the entries in these leadership styles. From the scores, it is apparent that my score in each item was frequently, if not always. This indicates that my strengths lie within these leadership styles, and I am likely to use them to make some decisions. The only area where it scored relatively low in transformational leadership is in the case of helping others grow their strengths (Empowerment, Index, & Model, 2017). My area of weakness is in avoidant/passive leadership. In all the avoidant leadership entries, I scored low because I barely identify or use this leadership style.
To capitalize on my strength in transformational leadership, I will help others realize their leadership style strength. This is important because it contributes to the enhancement of my leadership in this style. I will continue to take part in activities that help maintain leadership skills. Further, I will continue taking part in assessment tests to evaluate my skills and make the necessary adjustments as proposed by the results. This will be important in strengthening my skills.
To improve my weaknesses, I will try as much as possible to understand why I do not hesitate when it comes to decision making. This will be an essential milestone in alleviating my weaknesses. Furthermore, I will actively take part in planning some trivial events in order to be comfortable with the leadership position.
Identify Gaps
There are some gaps between the leader I am now and the leader I want to be. This is because I have not acquired all the traits and behaviors that are expected from an effective leader. According to the SPL Model, a leader must meet three main criteria in order to be termed as an effective leader, and they are scholarship, practice, and leadership. Currently, the SLP Model’s only achieved aspect is the scholarship because I have acquired enough knowledge from the learning institutions pertaining to leadership. Although leadership requires continuous learning to be a successful and effective leader, I have already acquired some insight on leadership (Robertson, 2016). However, I’m yet to learn everything about leadership because I will still learn different things regarding leadership, even in the practice and leadership processes. Further, I have not yet reached the practice stage, which entails social and workplace contributions. I have taken part in some social activities, but since I am still a student, I have not yet fully contributed to society and the workplace. The leadership aspect, which is the capability to exert the positive influence on the subordinate, is yet to be achieved.
Since I have not met most of the elements of the SPL Model, I believe that there is a huge gap between my current leadership and where I want it to be. In the future, I will have acquired skills, knowledge, and experience that are important in ensuring effective leadership. In the future, my leadership will align with the stipulations of the SPL Model because I will have gained experience from scholarship, practice, and leadership (Abdi, 2016). The successful leader must meet all the SPL Model requirements, which is a foundation of effective leadership.
Action Items
To bridge the gap between my leadership now and in the future, I will require to change my current behavior with the help of the behavioral leadership theory. This is an important move because leaders are born, and in order to develop such skills, I must adopt the best practices and set of behaviors that are important to every leader. Furthermore, I will close the gap while considering the principles of the SPL Model in order to acquire all the components needed to be a successful leader. By December 2020, I will develop clear visions and goals to achieve my leadership development goals. On May 2021, I will participate in assessment and evaluation to check the improvement and achievement of the goals. Also, the evaluation is important because it ensures that the leadership development plan is updated and relevant. Finally, by August 2021, I would like to attend at least two leadership seminars that will help me improve my leadership skills. These courses of action will play an integral role in enhancing the effectiveness of my leadership.
References
Abdi, O. M. (2016). How Information Literacy Influences the Scholarship, Practice, and Leadership Model in Higher Education Administration.
Empowerment, B. E., Index, B. C., & Model, C. (2017). BASF, 64 Bayer, 64 Behavioral reinforcement, 134 Behavioral theory, 123 Belgium, 52, 57, 63. Diversity and Inclusion in the Global Workplace: Aligning Initiatives with Strategic Business Goals, 129(130), 229.
Robertson, J. (2016). Coaching leadership: Building educational leadership capacity through partnership. New Zealand Council for Educational Research. PO Box 3237, Wellington 6140 New Zealand.