Being a leader is often viewed for some reason as a form of talent and an intrinsic ability that some people have an aptitude for developing. The “Emerging Leaders” course was a real eye-opener to me as it showed that the assumption of leadership qualities being inherent is entirely wrong and that, with due care and effort, a leader’s skills can be fostered in literally anyone. Shedding a lot of light on the types of approaches to leadership, the attitude that a true leader must assume, and a range of other crucial pieces of information, the course served as the premises for designing my own unique leadership approach and building the foundation for personal and professional growth.
Every day opened with a piece of new information about the secrets of efficient leadership. The lecture about authentic leaders, which was quite appropriately provided on the very first day of the course, helped get the priorities straight by detailing the specifics of proper relationships between a leader and a team. Particularly, the emphasis on clarity and honesty as the foundation for building successful and trustworthy relationships with the participants was crucial to developing an understanding of what a true leader represents.
Learning about the existing taxonomy of leadership styles was also quite exciting, and it gave a lot of food for thoughts. Particularly, the description of the existing leadership approaches led me to think that using only one of them in any situation does not seem reasonable. Instead, a true leader must have the flexibility that will help them design a unique framework that will help address a specific problem successfully and lead the team to victory.
The significance of networking detailed during one of the lectures prompted the idea of using modern technological advances as the means of enhancing communication and retrieving feedback successfully. The course sheds a lot of light on the need to take the opinions of the staff members seriously and create an environment in which the employees’ satisfaction rates could rise consistently. With the information about the factors that promote and inhibit the team’s enthusiasm, a leader will be capable of designing the perfect background for productive work. Finally, the significance of negotiations and the description of the negotiation strategies helped determine the approach that seems the most sensible in the contemporary business environment. Particularly, the importance of compromising became obvious.
When considering the topics and ideas that impressed me to the greatest degree, I must mention the concept of networking. Although seemingly simple, the subject matter raises a range of questions about the leader’s work organization. For instance, the ideas brought up during the lecture made me wonder what tools a leader should use to encourage the participants to network successfully. Additionally, the digital devices that will have to be incorporated into the network system need further study as the opportunities that the concept of networking offers are truly limitless.
Finally, the issue of information security and data safety needs to be discussed as an integral part of the networking process. As a true leader, one must be aware of the latest technological advances that allow securing the personal information of the participants, as well as the specific details of the project that they work on. However, in the wake of a technological breakthrough that can be witnessed nowadays, the issue of cybersecurity is, perhaps, among the most topical ones.
With every new preventive measure designed by IT experts, cybercriminals locate new loopholes and attack organizations. Therefore, the information provided during the course made me wonder if cybersecurity should be enhanced by raising awareness among the team members, along with the regular update of the security system. Specifically, the role of negligence and ignorance in the increase in the number of data breaches and information leaks seems to be huge. Thus, the course spurred the idea of offering the subordinates an opportunity to increase their IT competencies and acquire the relevant skills.
The course provided deep insight into the roles and responsibilities of a leader, therefore, setting the foundation for the personal and professional progress of the participants. It showed that the leadership qualities are not intrinsic and that they can be trained successfully once the participants of the course set their mind to it and train the necessary skills. The focus on the communication aspect of the leader’s responsibilities was especially important to me.
By studying the ways, in which leaders exert their influence on the team members and deliver essential messages to the target members of the organization, I realized that it was imperative to collect feedback from all stakeholders involved in order to make the decisions that will promote further growth of the organization and its members. Furthermore, the emphasis on the importance of communication has also affected my understanding of how modern technology should be used to enhance the feedback process. Overall, the course has provided the tools for determining my own unique leadership style that will help me become efficient and lead my team to victory.