- Published: January 14, 2022
- Updated: January 14, 2022
- University / College: Stanford University
- Level: Undergraduate
- Language: English
- Downloads: 36
Q We have discussed strong leaders we have admired. Think about a leader you have interacted with that was not a strong leader. Describe their leadership faults.
Ans. My leader was a director of school. Being a director of a school is a huge responsibility. One needs to listen to the opinions and advice of other people who have been through similar conditions and have faced similar challenges in their careers. Although as a leader, one can reserve the right to make independent decision, but listening never leads to a bad situation. My leader was a very silo minded person. He would neither seek advice or opinion of his colleagues and subordinates, nor involve them in decision making in any way. This complicated things for him in two basic ways; firstly, he developed a rift between himself, his colleagues, and his followers, and secondly, his wrong decisions led everybody into a trouble for which he was held accountable. It would not be so bad if the problem ended here; my leader would rationalize and try to defend himself on his wrong decisions rather than accepting his mistakes and moving forward taking everybody with him. I believe leadership is fundamentally affected by the type of personality traits and behavior one exhibits. In order to be a successful and strong leader, it is imperative that one builds good rapport with the colleagues and followers and serves as a role model for them.
Q. 2: Thinking about that leader, in what specific ways would you suggest they develop their leadership? Present a development plan.
Ans. In order to change things for the better and become a strong leader, my leader needs to start working at developing good relations and rapport with the colleagues and followers. He can achieve this by having meetings with them, making them aware of his plans of action, intentions, and intended results, and how they would benefit the community and the institution as a whole. My leader needs to come out of his shell and socialize with his colleagues and followers, take them into confidence, and ideally, seek their advice and opinion in the future decisions. This requires a holistic change in the personality and behavior of my leader which is, in fact, not easy to achieve. However, certain steps may make this easier for him if he takes them. For example, he can read leadership books. These books are written by very experienced and knowledgeable authors who present practicable and expert opinions on ways to change one’s personality and behavior for the better.
Q. 3: Do you have a personal development plan?
Ans. My future career is director of school, so my personal development plan
In order to develop my leadership skills to do justice to the role of a school director, I first need to brainstorm myself upon what exactly is a director of school and what are his responsibilities. Many books, articles, and blogs can be read to develop thorough understanding in this matter. Secondly, I need to assess my behavior and analyze what sort of a leader am I. I should start working toward achieving the right personality traits and behavior. Again, this requires reading books and articles. More importantly, I need to adopt a noble character and personality in general. When I can respect my decisions and actions, I believe that others would respect them too. Achieving this requires a day-to-day practice in every walk of life.