Defining Yourself as a Leader PDF

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Defining Yourself as a Leader Jory M. White MBA Leadership 5002 10/4/18

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Analyze Your Leadership Strengths Introduction Being a leader in today's business world requires a wide range of abilities. Leaders need to be agile, driven, effective communicators, and motivators. Of course, these are just a few skills that leaders need to utilize. Leaders that continue to develop and improve their skills are the leaders who have a growth mindset. A true leader will look beyond their own needs and focus on the group needs. A true leader listens to their colleagues, inspires, and encourages others to reach their full potential. Another important aspect of being a leader is accepting that you don't have all the answers and that you do have weaknesses. Understanding this is what makes a good leader a great one. In preparing for this assignment, I completed an assessment that identified my leadership strengths and also discussed these strengths with a professional coach. The BetterUp coaching sessions allowed for self-discovery and understanding the power of my strengths. Having the ability to talk openly with a coach helped me see what I am capable of doing in my future. I reached out to a few colleagues as well to receive feedback on my strengths and ask them what I am like at my best. Lastly, leadership is an important topic that I enjoy discussing; I created a leadership statement that is my vision of the leader I am and the leader I want to become. My Top Three Strengths and How I Use Them The BetterUp assessment is a vital tool that helped me discover my top strengths that I will utilize in my school work and life. The top three strengths from my self-assessment were Risk Tolerance, Sense of Control, and Growth Mindset. All of these strengths are essential to my success in the MBA program, and they will benefit my future career as well. Being able to take risks with the chance of failure is essential for growth. Before entering the MBA program, I was aware there would be risks entering a new field, but the risks did not outweigh the benefit of potential growth and success. Risk tolerance gave me confidence in deciding to take on two more classes. Adding two additional courses is a risk and can lead to high levels of stress. Instead of viewing it negatively, I see it as an opportunity to gain intangible knowledge that can be applied in all my courses and life. After changing my career path, I felt a sense of control over my life and that I found my purpose. In MBA Leadership 5002, I drive my success, and both my ability and effort will determine the knowledge I gain from this class. Initially when deciding to change career paths, my friends and colleagues were unsupportive; however, I was not going to let their thoughts influence my decision. Now that I have shown them my excitement and what I've learned so far, I have received overwhelming support. Growth mindset is the third strength identified by the assessment. Using this mindset in the MBA program will allow for the development of my skills and understanding of difficult concepts. I will not know everything in these courses, but not knowing everything doesn't mean learning is impossible. All of these strengths will help me to become the best leader possible and will keep me confident in my abilities.

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Who I Am at My Best Reaching out to my colleagues and friends for feedback would normally give me anxiety, but since my first coaching session I have been more open-minded to feedback, and instead, I was excited to see their responses to these types of questions. The consensus was that I am at my best when there is a clear objective in front of me and when I am confident in my knowledge. If I have a clear idea of a goal, I stay focused and tune out distractions and will stop at nothing until I achieve that goal. Occasionally setbacks occur, and instead of viewing it as a failure, I see it as a learning opportunity and a chance to make necessary adjustments in the future to ensure growth. According to my colleagues and friends, I am at my best when I attempt to learn new concepts and ideas on a regular basis and apply that new knowledge to my life. Also, when I'm at my best, I show intense passion in the topics I am discussing, and this creates a sense of excitement in others around me. How my strengths are reflected in my actions when I am at my best To be at my best, I need my strengths to be present and ready for action. Making it a habit of challenging the mind will allow critical thinking skills to develop thus leading to expansion of the mind, and this is commonly known as the growth mindset. The growth mindset is a strength I find to be essential for my personal and professional development, and without it, I would not be able to consider different perspectives on topics or be confident in my knowledge. My strengths change my perception of failure and transform it from a negative idea into a positive one, and when I am at my best all my strengths are heightened. Taking risk, sense of control, and growth mindset allow me to stay focused on the big picture, and they also enable me to explore new areas with confidence. Having these at my disposal has shaped my way of approaching challenges, and without these strengths I would have a tough time being the best version of me. Leadership Statement As a leader I am focused, motivated, understanding, and resilient. Although I do not currently hold a significant leadership role in a career, I am still a leader in school and life. My strengths and values drive my decision making and are vital to my leadership ability. Helping others, personal development, challenge, knowledge, and integrity are all core values that help define the type of leader and person I am. These values influence my leadership ability as well as the behavior I exhibit. Being self-aware is essential in the development of a leader, and is a step that has to occur before leading others. An individual that knows their values, strengths, weaknesses, and understands their purpose is becoming self-aware. Initially, I wanted to be an optometrist, but I soon found out that was not my real purpose in life. Instead of being the primary physician I am meant to help others in a business setting. More specifically I am meant to help others from the board side in a hospital setting where staff needs are taken care of and where we ensure doctors are providing the best care possible. I aspire to be a leader that has a purposeful vision and motivates others to take on leadership roles. The vision I have will not be another statement that is written and then forgotten. My vision will be believed in down to its core and embodied by all employees. Helping employees understand that their work is bigger than themselves will encourage them to believe in this purposeful vision. I do not want to be the

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leader that feels the need to control a group. Using your power to seek status and recognition for others work will not help emerging leaders learn how to be effective leaders. Encouraging innovative ideas and respecting feedback given by colleagues will develop my leadership professionally. Currently, it is difficult to inspire others since I do not have the opportunity to network that often. In the future, I will inspire others to reach their full potential and support their goals. Collaboration amongst employees will be something I promote to enhance critical thinking skills and develop their leadership abilities. Once I obtain a leadership role in a career, it will be important for me to remember that being a leader requires a never-ending process of growth and development. To be the best leader possible, I must never forget the BetterUp Whole Person Model, which is to thrive as a person and inspire as a leader. To inspire as a leader, open communication should be encouraged and motivating as well as influencing others is vital. To thrive as a person, I must be aware of my purpose and stay focused on that purpose, while being able to adapt to new changes (BetterUp, n.d.). Achieving Professional Goals BetterUp coaching helped me see myself more clearly and realize my actual leadership strengths. During my sessions, I was challenged to think about a time my strengths were used in the past and how I can use them in the future to achieve my goals. This activity stretched my mind and made me analyze moments in my life where my strengths and values influenced my decision-making. This activity also helped me improve my communication ability, and understand my purpose for pursuing an MBA degree. Coaching allowed me to grow personally and become more self-aware. Once I have a career, being able to reflect on my coaching experiences will benefit my journey to professional growth. Understanding myself more has made me feel more knowledgeable, motivated, and even more social. BetterUp taught me the importance of bringing my whole self to school every day and how this concept will carry over into a future career. One of the most critical ideas my coach taught me was to keep improving my skills and leverage my strengths to develop new skills. Coaching made me understand my weaknesses, but more importantly, I was made aware that those weaknesses can be improved. Accepting feedback and being able to talk openly with my coach has developed my skills as a leader. Combining the knowledge, I gained from coaching with my confidence and focused mindset I will be able to achieve the professional goals I set for myself.

References: BetterUp. (n.d.). An introduction to the whole person model [Video] | Transcript. Retrieved from https://vimeo.com/256140679...