Kelsey Oates 10 November 2013 LDR3003 Essay 2: Personal Leadership Development

Time and time again, we are reminded that self-reflection is a key element when becoming a good leader. In order for one to be an influential and powerful leader, they must evaluate themselves in such a way that their peers would do. One must reflect on every aspect of themselves, as well as every aspect that affects the ones around them. Upon taking this class, I always presumed that my leadership skills were strong and above average, however this class has taught me to take a deeper look into my leadership skills, and to grasp a higher level of understanding within myself. Ancient philosophers, such as Confucius and Socrates, have been recognized in history for their statements on self-awareness with effective leaders. These individuals believe that it is vital for an individual to understand themselves from within before they can teach their own doings onto another. When asked with the question, Do you really know you? most of us would give an automatic response of yes, but the truth is that most of us dont. To truly know yourself from within, you must evaluate everything that you stand for and everything that you do on a daily basis. This will allow you to discover important values that will enhance your skills as an effective leader. You must become one with your body on every levelmind, body, and soul. When I look back and reflect on my actions that have lead me to the point I am now in my life, I make sure to look at every aspect. I realized that since taking this course I prospered physically, mentally, and emotionally.

My leadership skills were adequate, but with the knowledge that I have gained through the self-assessment worksheets, I have been able to pin point certain qualities about myself that I never knew I possessed. Not only have these qualities enhanced my way of life, it has allowed me to prosper as an influential leader. One important lesson that I learned from the leaders that I have studied throughout this course, is that each stresses the importance of finding out ones personal goals and values before helping another with theirs. As strange as it seems I have never dwelled deeper into the notions of my own goals. I have always thought about them, and eventually achieved them, but I have never thoroughly evaluated them. By hearing the speeches of certain leaders, such as UNF President Delaney, I have come to the conclusion that writing down your personal goals, and then writing down a game plan to achieve those goals can be very effective. Not only do I practice this strategy daily, I make sure to always to use it as a starting point for all my endeavors. As I stated early, this has not only helped me in my everyday life, but as well as the ones who look up to me for advice and direction. When we first began this journey on the first day of class, I was apprehensive to the idea of changing my way of leadership. In my eyes, my leadership skills were up to par. It wasnt until I began reading the book, Leadership Theory and Practice Sixth Edition, that I realized I had become a leader that society wanted me to be. After hearing the words that great leaders of our time have said, I have come to see that my leadership skills always have room to grow. By allowing myself to continue to learn new qualities and different approaches to my leadership skills, I am ensuring that I will always be an effective leader.

Leadership is about learning, applying, and implementing, (Joel Portman, University of Denver). Our lives our based around constantly wanting to succeed and doing whatever we can to make sure that we are the best. This class has taught me the true meaning of what a successful leader should be, and has given me the opportunity to reflect on my own skills as a leader, and evaluate how much I have grown. An effective leader does not try to surpass every individual they come across. They do not put others down in order for a personal gain. They listen to others, learn from, and enlighten others as to what they have been taught. A good leader is someone who does not boast about their authority title and always realizes that every new individual that crosses our paths has the potential of teaching us something new.

Reference Page 1. http://works.bepress.com/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1132&context=peter_miller SIM Todays Manager: January 2012 2. LEADERSHIP Theory and Practice, Sixth Edition , Peter G. Northouse 2013 3. Self-Assessment Worksheet of Homework Results/Consciousness of Self