Introduction
Developing leadership qualities is helpful for any person, but not everyone is successful in this matter. Most executives have achieved heights not only through luck, connections, or natural talent – most of their achievements are the result of hard work. I have to evaluate myself as a leader in this work, backing up my opinion with an outside perspective and well-known approaches. It is important to note how the leader approaches the issue of evaluating himself, with the same responsibility he will treat the evaluation of his employees. Self-awareness and critical thinking are essential skills of any leader, so how much my own assessment matches up with the feedback from other people is also an important indicator.
Evaluation
Self-Evaluation
For self-assessment, I used questionnaires that have already proven themselves in this area. These include the Emotional and Social Competence Questionnaire (ESCI), which reflects aspects of emotional intelligence and the ability to see your strengths (Park & Faerman, 2019). Before the test, I noted to myself my strengths in communicating with people: adaptability, critical thinking, self-control, and inspiration of the interlocutor. The difficulty confirmed my high achievement in communication skills. Flexibility, coupled with constant control, makes it easy to approach any person while keeping the main goals and objectives to yourself. This ability does not allow me to leave the intended topic in dialogue or negotiations until a compromise or consensus is reached. In addition, I always try to support the interlocutor, even if he comes to me with bad news. A person has the right to make mistakes, and you need to be able to admit them. My strong point is that I can give a person a push at the moment when they are depressed.
The second questionnaire with which I made a self-assessment is the assessment of personal value. If the first questionnaire showed my natural communication abilities, then the second questionnaire indicates what is behind my behavior (Smikle, 2019). There are three main styles of leadership: authoritarian, participatory, and delegative (Akpoviroro et al., 2018). My style, according to the test results, is focused on accessibility, which corresponds to participatory leadership. This style requires high levels of emotional intelligence, but it also guarantees the highest productivity among all types in the workplace (Akpoviroro et al., 2018). My power is not an obstacle or a source of fear for employees – it is just a tool to reveal their strengths. The test results showed that flexibility is closely related to creative thinking and creativity. Finding opportunities for your development allows you to demonstrate a vitality that energizes other people.
Feedback
I received feedback from two of my former colleagues and family members. Having brought the data to statistics, I got that people note sympathy and the ability to give strength even in the most challenging situation. This fact is a consequence of flexibility and adaptability against the background of high levels of emotional intelligence. However, some of those taking part in the survey fear that I am a talented manipulator. Empathy and inspiration can direct a person towards their own goals and desires. This fear is very genuine, and thanks to this test, I understood in which direction I need to work on myself. The tendency to manipulate is a consequence of my commitment to control. Constantly keeping an eye on the pulse, as indicated in the test of the value questionnaire, means something not to trust or something to be afraid of.
Growth Opportunities
To overcome this character trait, I also asked colleagues and family questions. I assumed that the openness and availability of my intentions and goals to other employees would remove suspicions of manipulation. However, the feedback showed that I should verbally voice my dreams and demonstrate fairness in my actions. This fact is consistent with the transformational leadership model, which partly contradicts individualism, flexibility, and empathy (Eliyana & Ma’arif, 2019). However, transformational leadership can only be applied to one specific aspect: responsibility for one’s own words and actions. Each of my intentions should be openly discussed with the interlocutor, who can express his opinion in return. As a result, empathy will be shown at every stage of decision-making, demonstrating adaptability and flexibility. In turn, I will have to confirm my intentions in every possible way with my activities. A leader who sincerely strives for goals can lead the whole team with a light heart if their values coincide.
Conclusion
A holistic approach to assessing my strengths has created a lot of food for self-reflection. Feedback from colleagues and my family members confirmed the self-assessment results. The big picture allowed us to draw up a plan to improve leadership skills and identify the main problems that threaten professional communication. Flexibility and the ability to inspire people to form the basis of my leadership strategy, which I must now reinforce with my own example and actions. Controlling helps me maintain my critical thinking ability, but it creates the illusion of manipulation. With the help of high emotional intelligence, I need to learn to show people that any urge to act on my part is exclusively professional and supported by rational arguments.
References
Akpoviroro, K. S., Kadiri, B., & Owotutu, S. O. (2018). Effect of participative leadership style on employee’s productivity. International Journal of Economic Behavior (IJEB), 8(1), 47-60.
Eliyana, A., & Ma’arif, S. (2019). Job satisfaction and organizational commitment affect in the transformational leadership towards employee performance. European Research on Management and Business Economics, 25(3), 144-150.
Park, H. H., & Faerman, S. (2019). Becoming a manager: Learning the importance of emotional and social competence in managerial transitions. The American Review of Public Administration, 49(1), 98-115.
Smikle, J. L. (2019). Connecting values to leader and leadership development. The Journal of Values-Based Leadership, 12(1), 1-6.