Human emotions and feelings dictate the manner in which people achieve their potentials. Individuals with developed emotional intelligence (EI) will recognize the feelings of others, motivate them, and focus on the best outcomes. The EI concept has become critical since more people are required to complete numerous tasks. When a person possesses the most desirable EI competencies, he or she finds it easier to deal with changes successfully (Hess & Bacigalupo, 2013). Personally, I have developed a number of competencies that make it easier for me to achieve my potentials. However, I should address some gaps in order to become successful. This discussion outlines the major EI competencies associated with my leadership style. The paper goes further to present powerful experiments or action plans that have the potential to address the key areas affecting my leadership skills.
Selected competencies
Competency Strength
The ESCI model outlines various areas that dictate the performance and success of many people. The major areas include cognitive, self-management, social awareness, relationship management, and self-awareness (Hess & Bacigalupo, 2013). These competency fields work synergistically to improve an individual’s effectiveness (Goleman & Boyatzis, 2016). People should consider a number of strategies to improve the competencies in an attempt to realize their objectives. I strongly believe that I have unique competency strengths that make me a successful leader. Some of these strengths include achievement orientation and adaptability.
After collaborating with my coach, we outlined achievement orientation as the most outstanding strength that dictates my effectiveness as a team player. This competence focuses on a person’s ability to act as a leader and guide his or her followers. I always use my skill sets to lead, guide, and empower others. It is notable that this competence does not require me to act in a formal manner. As a worker, I always collaborate with my teammates to focus on the targeted goals and support one another. This competency strength explains why I bring people together, encourage them to deliver results, and address the existing issues (Goleman & Boyatzis, 2016). This practice has made it easier for our team to achieve its objectives.
There are several abilities that support my achievement orientation strength. For instance, I always use the strength to deliver positive results within the shortest time possible. It has been possible for me to state the best goals and visions for my teams. The skill makes it easier for me to motivate, empower, guide, and inspire my followers. The best emotional reactions are catalyzed in order to produce the best results. The team finds it easier to achieve its objectives. This skill explains why I have managed to bring out the best in my team members (Goleman & Boyatzis, 2016). Individuals who want to realize their objectives must work hard to develop this competency strength.
This discussion shows conclusively that I am a great leader who addresses the issues experienced by different individuals. As a team manager, I use this skill to monitor the performance of every follower. This competence makes it easier for me to analyze every situation in order to understand the best strategies towards delivering positive results (Goleman & Boyatzis, 2016). It is my goal to create the most appropriate environment for the targeted workers. This competence will definitely support my personal and professional goals.
That being the case, adaptability is a powerful trait that guides me to act flexibly and tackle various situations. It is undeniable that leaders work in different environments. The competence makes it easier for me to collaborate with different persons from diverse backgrounds. Individuals with diverse cultural competencies and skills will behave differently. As a leader, I have been able to adapt and deliver the most desirable support to the targeted followers (Hess & Bacigalupo, 2013). The possession of this skill explains why it has been possible for my team to realize most of its objectives.
The situation explains why I find it easier to perform optimally when the situations change (Goleman & Boyatzis, 2016). It is also possible for me to guide individuals from diverse backgrounds. This strength shows conclusively that I can work with different groups. I always change my perceptions or ideas “on the basis of new evidence” (Batool, 2013, p. 86). Different changes affect my performance and contributions to the targeted company. Most of my followers are also guided by this strength in order to deliver positive results.
However, it is agreeable that I have been unable to use the competence to coach and mentor others. My approaches to teamwork empower different workers to focus on the targeted results. The process makes it easier for them to use the right resources in order to deliver positive outcomes. Unfortunately, I do not exhibit the best mentorship skills (Goleman & Boyatzis, 2016). This gap explains why I will use a powerful strategy to improve my abilities and mentor others. The strategy will play a critical role towards making me a competent organizational leader.
Weakness: Competencies to Develop
Lifelong learning is a powerful strategy that empowers people to embrace new skills in order to emerge successful (Goleman & Boyatzis, 2016). This concept is used by individuals who want to improve or develop better competencies that have the potential to support their personal goals. Although I possess numerous skills that support my effectiveness, it is agreeable that there are some areas that should be improved. The coach guided me to identify the major competency areas that can be improved in order to become a successful leader. After conducting the exercise, the coach guided me to understand the importance of relationship management skills (Hess & Bacigalupo, 2013). These skills “help more people to apply appropriate changes that can result in the most desirable behaviors” (Batool, 2013, p. 85). When positive relationships are developed, the individual finds it easier to engage in the most appropriate practices and eventually realize the targeted goals.
During the process, the coach pointed out that my skills such as conflict management, influence, and ability to coach others were underdeveloped. The exercise showed conclusively that new measures were needed in order to support my personal goals. The coach indicated that it was hard for me to act and lead others in accordance with the existing circumstances. My achievement orientation and adaptability skills were appropriate towards empowering different followers in the working environment (Batool, 2013). The possession of these skills made it easier for me to support the diverse needs of my teammates. However, I found it hard to work effectively in teams or influence others.
That being the case, it will be appropriate for me to focus on a powerful strategy to improve these competencies. The skill has the potential to address the challenges affecting my performance as a leader. Since situations and events are unpredictable, competent leaders should be able to adapt and implement the most appropriate strategies (Goleman & Boyatzis, 2016). They should overcome the challenges associated with new changes and support their followers. A proper approach will make it easier for me to improve my relationship management skills.
Areas that Block my Personal Success
I have been using powerful achievement orientation and adaptability competencies to influence the performance of my team members. Without using the formal aspect of leadership, I use the competence to address the needs affecting my teammates. This practice explains why I always empower my teams. However, several areas make it impossible to emerge successful as a leader. For example, I lack the right competencies to mentor and guide my teams (Batool, 2013). This gap explains why I have been unable to lead others successfully. I also find it hard to influence my followers. My approach to teamwork is also ineffective.
The next weakness is that I lack adequate relationship management skills. More often than not, I fail to consider the values and cultural aspects that dictate the performance of my teams. I have realized that people’s behaviors and actions are usually guided by their cultures aspects. My conflict management skills are inadequate (Goleman & Boyatzis, 2016). That being the case, I strongly believe that any move to improve this skill will definitely make me a successful leader.
My insensitivity to new changes explains why I find it hard to adapt to different situations. More often than not, I fail to analyze the situations experienced by my team. Conflicts are major challenges that affect the performance of teams. This analysis, therefore, shows clearly that new measures are needed in order to improve my relationship management skills (Batool, 2013). When these competencies are developed, it will be easier for me to realize my goals and support the performance of others.
Action Plans/Experiments to Improve the Above Key Areas
My ultimate goal is to develop new competencies that can support my organizational and personal goals. In order to improve these skills, it is mandatory to use a powerful action plan characterized by different experiments. Such strategies will definitely address the gaps that make it impossible for me to advance my leadership and organizational practices. Evidence-based approaches will play a positive role towards supporting my professional and personal objectives (Batool, 2013). The best experiments to improve the targeted key areas are presented below.
The first area that should be improved is conflict management. This area explains why I have been unable to deliver positive results using my leadership strategy. The first step towards improving this area is through continuous learning. This practice will make it easier for me to identify new practices and strategies that can improve my organizational awareness competencies. I will go further to interact with my teammates and followers. By so doing, I will learn more about their cultural attributes and organizational behaviors (Batool, 2013). I will also make the practice part of my leadership philosophy. The process will ensure my leadership practices are guided by the same initiatives. When the organizational attributes of my followers are clearly understood, it will become possible to address the challenges affecting them. The process will also ensure the leadership approach delivers positive results. I will interact will other leaders in order to achieve better skills. These experiments will definitely make it easier for me to become a competent organizational leader.
As mentioned earlier, my inspirational leadership skills are underdeveloped. Consequently, I have been unable to address the needs of different followers from diverse backgrounds (Goleman & Boyatzis, 2016). Several experiments or initiatives will be required to improve this area. The first one is the use of change models. Kurt Lewin’s change theory can be used to guide and mentor different members of a team. The model will make it easier for me understand the diverse needs and expectations of the targeted individuals.
This move will outline new approaches that can be used to address the challenges affecting my teams. I will always be on the lookout for new challenges and barriers affecting the performance of my team members. During the process, I will liaise with different stakeholders and leaders in order to improve my competencies. It will also be appropriate to consider specific theories and different leadership models in order to realize my potentials. My teammates will also be involved throughout the process. They will identify specific action plans that can be used to deliver positive results whenever new changes emerge. This idea is based on the fact that every individual can take up leadership roles in an attempt to produce positive results (Batool, 2013).
The other weakness area that affects my performance area is the inability to guide and mentor others. In order to address this issue, I will read a wide range of organizational leadership materials (Hess & Bacigalupo, 2013). This move will make it easier for me to acquire new ideas to empower others. I will offer constant feedbacks to my teammates. This process will guide me to understand the unique challenges affecting my followers. It will be appropriate to support and appreciate the strengths of my followers. A new approach to caring will be embraced. The practice will ensure the challenges affecting my teammates are addressed in a timely manner. I will design a powerful mentorship philosophy. This model will guide me to guide me to examine the gaps in the targeted teams (Batool, 2013). The next move will be to implement the best initiatives to address the needs of my followers. Every individual will be involved throughout the mentorship program. This experiment will play a critical role towards making me a successful leader.
Concluding Remarks
Managers should be aware of the major issues surrounding the area of organizational development. In order to become successful managers, individuals should improve their competencies and address the changing needs of their followers. This discussion has showed conclusively that I possess specific competencies that support my leadership style. My inspirational leadership strategy guides and empowers others in order to produce positive results. On the other hand, my adaptability approaches are underdeveloped (Hess & Bacigalupo, 2013). I am therefore planning to use powerful initiatives in an attempt to improve my leadership competencies. It will be appropriate to collaborate with my coach, different leaders, and my followers in order to improve the above key areas. I will also make lifelong learning a useful process aimed at improving my leadership practice. The acquired skills will eventually make me a successful manager who supports the changing needs of every follower.
References
Batool, B. (2013). Emotional intelligence and effective leadership. Journal of Business Studies Quarterly, 4(3), 84-94.
Goleman, D., & Boyatzis, R. (2016). Feedback group: What is emotional and social intelligence? New York, NY: Hay Group.
Hess, J., & Bacigalupo, A. (2013). Applying emotional intelligence skills to leadership and decision making in non-profit organizations. Administrative Sciences, 3(1), 202-220.