Introduction
By analyzing all the splendor of the animal and plant world, it is clear that leadership is at the very foundation of life. Only in plants and animals does it appear in the form of simple dominance. But this does not prevent it from reflecting the main essence of this phenomenon – the advantage of one or a group of individuals over the others. In the process of formation of the rudiments of interpersonal relations of Homo Sapiens species, a simple domination, which is inherent in all animal world, transformed and developed, and finally in man, as the highest form of psycho-emotional life, was transformed into the phenomenon of leadership. There are several meanings of the term leadership.
The main is that leadership is a special quality, a model of behavior of a person or an organization that provides advanced positions. Development of leadership qualities takes place only in the society and with constant interpersonal interaction at home, at school and at work. Relevance of this problem lies in the fact that the head, having expressed leadership qualities, more effectively manages the team, respectively, increases the productivity of subordinates and the success of the organization. However, not all managers initially have highly developed leadership qualities (Northouse, 2021). That is why the study of ways and peculiarities of leadership qualities development is important for understanding and accumulating knowledge on this topic and solving this scientific problem.
Analyzing My Leadership Strengths and Weaknesses
In order to analyze my leadership qualities in a more subtle way and to identify weaknesses, I took several special surveys. This kind of survey method covered four areas of leadership, namely skills inventory, situational leadership, leadership on the way to a goal, and servant leadership. The basic approach is to give natural answers to the questions posed, each of which is awarded a point. At the end of the survey, the scores are added together to give my level of quality of leadership skills in a particular area. Each of the four branches needs to be analyzed in detail to see what valuable qualities I have and what needs to be worked on thoroughly.
Beginning with an overview of the skills inventory, it should be noted that they are divided into the ability to work with people, predisposition to technique, and conceptuality. The results of the survey revealed that I, as a leader, am the most technically inclined, but at the same time my people skills are quite low. Despite the fact that this result was for me unexpected, the questions that made up the questionnaire, were objective and specific, so I think that the results are competent. In addition, there is always the rule that I can see better from the outside and not to engage in self-deception, I plan to improve my social skills.
Then, analyzing the questionnaire results on path-goal leadership, I can note some significant elements of my potential leadership style that may impact my future activities as a leader. Based on the survey results, I primarily have a supportive leadership style since my overall score of “supportive questions” is significantly higher than other styles. I expected such a result because I have always known that I do everything in my power to support people and make them feel comfortable, independently of the situation. That involves my friends, close people of mine, and my potential followers, meaning that, as a leader, I will always ensure that my subordinates do not experience discomfort or similar feelings. Moreover, I believe such an attitude is a key to gaining followers’ respect and making them work as efficiently as possible.
Finally, I have had my friend complete the servant leadership questionnaire for me to analyze my behavior from the viewpoint of another person and use the collected information to seek ways for improvement. According to the final results of the questionnaire, I have high scores of conceptual skills, empowering, helping others grow and succeed, putting followers first, and behaving ethically. At the same time, I have a moderate score for emotional healing, probably because it can sometimes be challenging for me to feel other people’s pain if they do not notify me about their problems. I also have a low score for creating value for the community, which seems to result from my self-oriented behavior. Though I may not bring much value to the community, that does not concern my own activity and followers because I will always try to be a valuable leader. However, the results of this particular questionnaire are based on the answers of only one person. It will probably be helpful to conduct a widescale survey involving more people to understand my servant leadership from the third-person viewpoint.
How Leaders Improve
- Successful leaders have the makings of an outsider’s perspective with all the characteristics that go with it, they communicate easily, negotiate and build communication bridges, and are trusted by group members. A successful leader makes decisions based on the situation as a whole. But if there are no such inclinations for some reason, they can be developed and successfully cope with the duties of a leader-leader. Leadership qualities develop and come to the fore in specific situations, when a person is directly confronted with the sphere of management or decision-making, communicating with his subordinates. It turns out that outside of society a person cannot develop leadership qualities in themselves, even if they have the makings of a leader (Northouse, 2021).
If people are given a book on leadership development and asked to study it, it will not lead to instant transformation because their knowledge will only be theoretical (Northouse, 2021). In a group the qualities of a leader will appear if the individual has the following tasks:
- To increase the effectiveness of the work of the group, if the deadline for the project is very small and lead to a positive result in the end;
- To gain the trust of the team and maintain communication with them and motivate everyone;
- Work as a team;
- Resolve disputes among team members and when approached by customers, know the environment of the organization;
- To track changes, to look for something fresh, progressive, unusual, to come up with new ideas and their solutions;
- Organize the work process and use resources optimally, correctly distribute authority among colleagues and subordinates (Northouse, 2021).
To solve all these problems a person in a leadership position needs to develop and maintain leadership qualities all his or her life. Leadership qualities can be developed by studying the literature on the topic and sharing experiences with other leaders and managers, for example, in seminars or trainings (Northouse, 2021). It is important that the training and exchange of experience is not only theoretical, but also practiced in practice, as happens in personal growth trainings. And there it is only necessary for a manager to allocate some time to self-development, which is sometimes difficult because most managers have long working hours.
Ways to Develop My Leadership Qualities
I believe that the first thing that needs to be changed is behavior, which should become more confident. In order to create an impression of self-confidence, it is necessary to watch body language and, for example, not to adopt postures that give away anxiety. It is necessary to look with an open eye, and it is desirable to establish eye contact, and the movements of the hands should not be too fidgety, the back should be straight and there is no need to speak quickly (Northouse, 2021). Secondly, it is necessary to learn and use the ways of persuasion. I should not even mention weak arguments if I am trying to convince the interlocutor. In persuasion it is important to hear the arguments of opponent. Third, I must apply and master the techniques of oratory. I need to rehearse and try to read speech in front of a mirror or make a record to correct mistakes and eventually evaluate performance positively on my own.
In addition to oratorical and communicative skills, it is necessary to develop charisma. The ability to be charming or, in other words, to approach people is one of the key skills of a leader, because not only dialogue but also trust emerges through emotional connection (Northouse, 2021). It is important for a leader to be able to express and appreciate the skills and performance of each member of the group and also to be able to show a genuine sincere interest in the life and interests of a subordinate. Another aspect can be called the need to be open to creativity, as modern society is constantly developing and waiting for more and more interesting ideas and creative solutions. It is possible to solve logic and creative games, for example, puzzles or charades, it is useful to develop interests outside of professional activities.
Another area that should be highlighted is stress tolerance. Developing a problem-solving skill in a crisis not only promotes efficiency, but also improves the quality of both the manager and the entire organization. In a crisis situation, leaders are advised to make decisions as quickly as possible, since delay threatens the loss of authority. Finally, it is necessary to know clearly where to go in order to lead the others. At the same time it is useful to present this in a nice and clear way to the subordinates. It is important that employees understand the goals of their leader and agree to follow them. And, finally, it is important that the leader has supporters, because it is difficult to call a leader if he does not have anyone in his subordinate.
Conclusion
The problem of leadership will never lose its relevance because as long as the human race will exist, there will be a struggle for leadership. This means that the same demands will be made on leaders as are made today. A leader will be someone who has valuable skills for an organization or group, and proves to be professional and competent. In order to become a quality and effective leader, I require developing the skills mentioned above in the essay, giving priority to communication abilities. In addition, feedback and criticism from peers can point out weaknesses that need to be eradicated.
Reference
Northouse, P.G. (2021). Leadership: Theory and Practice. Sage.