Reflective Leadership Paper

Reflective Leadership Paper

Student’s Name: Ahmed Hammoudeh

Course: Leading and Influencing

Professor’s Name: Steven Ash

Date: 11/26/2015

Leadership may be regarded as a social influence process in which a person or groups of people are able to incorporate the support and aid of others in order to accomplish a given task. Leadership may be also defined as the ability to persuade people with an aim to attain a certain goal or purpose ('Who Influences Who?', 2012). Modern day society places a lot of emphasis on the institutions and the people who have been vested with the power. This is because the people who occupy such positions regularly propose and enact new laws and regulations that affect all of us in one way or another. In particular is the emphasis on the attributes possessed by the leaders themselves and their impact on the quality of leadership offered.

I am of the belief that leadership is a dynamic process rather than being static. This is because, as a leader, one is supposed to make certain decisions that border primarily on problem-solving. Whichever decision that is arrived at is made with respect to the prevailing circumstances at that time. As it has been observed, this will keep on changing. This opinion resonates with the Behavioral Theory of leadership that makes the assumption that leaders are made as opposed to being born. The basis of successful leadership is learnable and definable behavior that eventually makes it very easy for others to act in the same desired ways (Westaby, Probst & Lee, 2010). This is also in line with the Contingency Theory of Leadership that states that the effectiveness of a particular style of leadership is dependent upon the situation at hand. While certain behaviors among leaders may be effective, it is also imperative that they may not work for all situations that do arise.

As a leader, I believe I possess the following leadership traits that also serve as my strengths:

1. Adaptability and Flexibility

As characteristics of leadership, flexibility and adaptability relate to the ability to face adversity, frustrations and constraints and also be able to adjust to shifting priorities and multiple demands.

1. Integrity

This is the ability to exhibit honesty and consistency among values, principles and behavior.

1. Objectivity

Objectivity may be regarded as the ability to retain an emphasis on the real problem at hand and thus maintain an unbiased approach to situations or people.

1. Self-Confidence

As a leader, I can manage my performance in a manner that has been regarded by my peers as being both assertive and effective.

1. Tolerance of Ambiguity

This characteristic of leadership requires that one is able to demonstrate comfort even in situations where there are great difficulties and uncertainty with respect to the goals and the means to achieve them.

1.     Self-Awareness

Successful leaders are required to earn from personal experience and actively pursue self-development and learning. One should be to know his or her personal needs, interests, competencies and style and their effect on others.