I find people tend to follow me because of my character, people skills, intuition, emotional intelligence, and abilities. Often times I enjoy being the leader, from the smallest task at home to the largest task at work such as planning to remodel the home, planning a wedding, a school project or new systems implementation at work. I enjoy being in the thick of things, taking control. I enjoy explaining the plans, details, listening to input and sorting it all out. However, one of my weaknesses is doing too much and not asking for assistance or knowing when to delegate. I hope to grow and utilize the leadership law of empowerment which is giving power to others. You are only as good as your team, and your inner circle. According to (Maxwell, 2007), āTo lead others well we must help them to reach their full potential. That means being on their side, encouraging them, giving them power, and helping them to succeedā (pg. 145)
Ice Breaker - Becoming an authentic, vulnerable and transparent leader
Have you ever walked in a room filled with suits (male and female) and you donāt know anyone, all you know is that you showed up to a meeting or training class for work purposes. This first thing the person does who is facilitating asks everyone to introduce themselves, maybe a brief summary of their current position and what their favorite thing might be. This is done to help break the ice, reduce tension in the room, and create some sort of togetherness. When this is done the class tends to be a little more relaxed. The same thing can apply to a leader. Just because a person is in a position of power to lead does not automatically mean they have nothing in common with you. As a successful leader it is a good quality to become transparent and vulnerable. The staff will respect you more, trust you and want to work for you, and follow you for a long period of time. According to (Clark, 2012) āTo know you is to love you. Well, love might be strong. But you want your employees to at least like you and understand where youāre coming from ā because, as copious research has shown, money isnāt a good motivational tool. Rather, what will make them go above and beyond is their relationship and loyalty to you ā and youāll never get that if you donāt let them know you as a personā (para. 3).
Get out of my comfort zone; donāt be afraid to fail forward type of leader
For me fear, being comfortable and complacent is factors I struggle with professionally and have hindered me in the past from progressing as a successful leader. I have been afraid to fail and be judged by my peers, especially becoming a known leader within my professional network. However, during this class I have learned not be afraid to fail, fail forward. I will try to remember not to reflect so much on the actual āfailureā but what I can learn from the experience and move forward. I was given the opportunity to lead and āfrozeā just a little which kept me from flourishing at that time. However that experience has motivated me to keep pushing.
References:
Clark, D. (2012, April 11). Transparency is the New Leadership Imperative. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved April 9, 2018, from Transparency is the New Leadership Imperative
Maxwell, J. C. (2007). The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership (10th ed.). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson.
Ice Breaker - Becoming an authentic, vulnerable and transparent leader
Have you ever walked in a room filled with suits (male and female) and you donāt know anyone, all you know is that you showed up to a meeting or training class for work purposes. This first thing the person does who is facilitating asks everyone to introduce themselves, maybe a brief summary of their current position and what their favorite thing might be. This is done to help break the ice, reduce tension in the room, and create some sort of togetherness. When this is done the class tends to be a little more relaxed. The same thing can apply to a leader. Just because a person is in a position of power to lead does not automatically mean they have nothing in common with you. As a successful leader it is a good quality to become transparent and vulnerable. The staff will respect you more, trust you and want to work for you, and follow you for a long period of time. According to (Clark, 2012) āTo know you is to love you. Well, love might be strong. But you want your employees to at least like you and understand where youāre coming from ā because, as copious research has shown, money isnāt a good motivational tool. Rather, what will make them go above and beyond is their relationship and loyalty to you ā and youāll never get that if you donāt let them know you as a personā (para. 3).
Get out of my comfort zone; donāt be afraid to fail forward type of leader
For me fear, being comfortable and complacent is factors I struggle with professionally and have hindered me in the past from progressing as a successful leader. I have been afraid to fail and be judged by my peers, especially becoming a known leader within my professional network. However, during this class I have learned not be afraid to fail, fail forward. I will try to remember not to reflect so much on the actual āfailureā but what I can learn from the experience and move forward. I was given the opportunity to lead and āfrozeā just a little which kept me from flourishing at that time. However that experience has motivated me to keep pushing.
References:
Clark, D. (2012, April 11). Transparency is the New Leadership Imperative. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved April 9, 2018, from Transparency is the New Leadership Imperative
Maxwell, J. C. (2007). The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership (10th ed.). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson.
