Effective Leadership Models
Coming into this class, we discussed multiple types of effective behaviors that make a great leader. Most of the obvious behaviors that were mentioned were downplayed as the weakest forms of leadership. As I began to determine, these theories discussed in the readings of the 5 Practices and Emotional Intelligence create the most meaningful leader. As seen with my group members, they all showed effective behaviors based on these readings that allowed them to possess different types of leadership that contributed to the overall dynamic of the group.
One example of the leadership present in my group was the leadership qualities that Ehren Castle brought to the team. As stated in my LetterofRecognition (Letter of Recognition), Ehren was able to Model the Way from his outspoken and positive energy, but at the same time showed great Social Awareness. I feel it is necessary to have someone who provides direction and guidance for the team and Ehren brought that to every meeting. Not only was he respectful at all times he had the leadership to start the meeting by outlining what steps needed to get accomplished on a given day. As for Social Awareness, he made sure every one in the group was understood and no ideas were thrown out right away. He always respected their perspective and most of the time changed his ideas according to what other group members presented.
According to my final group feedback, my leadership quality that was most valued was Challenging the Process. In the beginning of the class, I thought this practice would result in negatively, but as I became more comfortable with this type of leadership better ideas were generated through group discussion. Challenging does not mean shutting down and in order to come to final decisions most decisions are challenged before implemented.
As for the entire team, we committed as a team to share the same vision. This allowed every person in the group to make a significant contribution towards the same ultimate goal. As stated in the team mid-term commitment we wanted to improve three specific ideas that would benefit us when working towards our vision. Even simple commitments such as improving focus during group meetings allowed each member’s vision to be more concentrated. By setting these standards halfway through the term it also allowed each member to achieve their own goals, which falls under self-management of Emotional Intelligence. As you can see from the above picture none of our goals were overwhelming but they allowed our team to move forward and become a more successful group.
Most leaders in the world are not polished in all five practices or each category of Emotional Intelligence, but what separates these leaders is their ability to improve on these styles of leadership. Moving forward in my leadership development, I will continue to learn and improve on these styles of leadership. Each of these elements presents a unique style of leadership that can be beneficial to you in the real world. Saying this, if I can continue to improve and demonstrate these unique traits it will set me apart from other leaders when applying for a job, getting promoted, or even just being recognized as that person who Encourages the Heart.