Discussion:
As of today, I can't say that I have achieved all my goals for this course. Unfortunately, I came down with a bad case of the flu midway through and I was set back. However, I did meet some goals including really reading more on leadership, even some of the things I have read before. This has helped me to deepen my understanding of leadership approaches, characteristics, and leadership in teams.
I mentioned that some challenges in my leadership position included the balancing of different personalities and how I learned to capitalize on their strengths. This practice was enforced in this course when we covered team and diversity leadership. I received affirmation that it is important for me as a leader of diverse teams to value, point out, and appreciate the unique differences that each team member brings to the table. This extends to their educational differences, work experiences, and general life experiences too. According to Homan & Greer (2013), doing this will embrace the diversity of the team and can help improve trust and positive relationships among the members, as well as increase motivation and performance.
I also learned about considerate leadership and its relation to transformational leadership. Both of these approaches inspire me to make time for introspection and adjust accordingly. I am encouraged to become the type of leader that can motivate my employees to commit to their tasks. According to Northouse (2016), showing genuine concern, care, and interest in their lives will help to keep them motivated. Additionally,
I will commit to being more intentional about showing gratitude and praising them for their accomplishments, so that they feel more encouraged to keep meeting our organizational goals (Lencher, 2018). Overall, although this course has made me realize my shortcomings as a leader, the upside is that I was able to learn more strategies on how to improve in the areas that I am weak, and capitalize on my areas of strength.