Leadership is among the primary skills that can help a person succeed in their career and life. Leaders can benefit other people and organizations by enhancing the motivation, focus, and productivity of their followers. However, being a leader can be hard since leadership often involves finding a balance between contradictory behaviors or qualities. For example, leaders are usually expected to be determined but flexible, loyal but independent, passionate but reasonable, and so forth. Additionally, leadership entails a significant responsibility, which is why leaders need to have personal strength and vision to be able to succeed. This means that, in order to become a great leader, one must strive for excellence and work on self-improvement throughout their life.
Still, no two leaders are the same in terms of personal characteristics, skills, values, and behaviors. To see the path to success, a leader must first understand their current situation and the gaps or weaknesses that need to be addressed. For this reason, programs that focus on increasing leadership capacity from a personal perspective are particularly useful for leaders. The Leading Self program provided by Universitas Telefonica is among the programs that help leaders to understand themselves better and set the correct course for self-improvement. The program can aid both young and experienced leaders in learning the skills, knowledge, and techniques that are necessary for fulfilling the requirements of a leadership role and improving personal effectiveness as a leader. The present report will seek to explore the content of the program, its potential application in leadership practice, and its benefits.
Skills
The first skill that the program provides is reflection. This is a crucial skill for leaders because it allows generating valuable insights about one’s behaviors and goals. Learning to use reflection to make sense of personal experiences is one of the core processes required for continuous self-improvement. The program helps to build this skill by encouraging leaders to evaluate their current situation, values, and other important personal and professional aspects (Universitas Telefonica, n.d.). Practicing reflection as part of the program would help leaders to make it part of their everyday life, thus helping them to become more insightful. According to Beheshti (2018), daily self-reflection also increases one’s self-awareness and creativity, thus assisting leaders in making the right choices. The practice of reflection is also associated with increased honesty and integrity, which means that it enables leaders to remain true to themselves (Beheshti, 2018). As a result, insightful, conscious, and honest persons become more capable of making strategic choices while also inspiring others to develop these characteristics.
Another skill that the program would help leaders to build is analysis. Being able to analyze information and draw conclusions from it is crucial to leadership for several reasons. First of all, it assists leaders in appraising the current situation and identifying problems that could affect their success. This can also be useful in various organizational contexts since the contemporary business environment requires leaders to anticipate programs and respond to them proactively. Secondly, analysis is an essential antecedent of self-improvement because it can be applied to determine personal strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for growth. The program teaches leaders to use analysis to understand themselves better, thus preparing leaders for continuous personal and professional development. Thirdly, analysis is vital when it comes to problem-solving as it assists in appraising various options or opportunities and selecting the best one. For example, when faced with a challenging strategic dilemma, a leader with well-developed analytical skills will be able to map the possible consequences of each decision and choose the most optimal path to take. Therefore, analysis is a skill that can aid leaders both in enhancing their life and in achieving organizational success.
Practical application of knowledge is also one of the skills that can be developed as a result of the program. According to the program outline presented by Universitas Telefonica (n.d.), students will not only evaluate their leadership capacity and characteristics but also set objectives and create plans to carry out the necessary change. This means that the knowledge gained throughout the program will be used to generate practical solutions. In business, the ability to apply knowledge in practice is essential because it supports the success of individuals, teams, and entire organizations. For instance, this skill enables leaders to apply the knowledge generated from management research to practice to achieve better results in terms of performance, motivation, and productivity. At the same time, it can contribute to leaders’ individual growth because it allows incorporating the information gained from reflection and analysis into their career and personal life. The opportunities for using this skill to achieve personal and professional success are endless, which is why it increases the value of the Leading Self program.
Finally, an essential skill that can be developed as part of the program is the focus. In the contemporary world, people are faced with numerous distractions that affect their performance and career. While distracting factors can bring momentary joy and relaxation, they often prevent people from pursuing their chosen path of self-development. To achieve success in this context, leaders must learn to focus on their vision and the steps required for its fulfillment. Limiting distractions is an essential part of succeeding both at work and in personal life as it helps to prioritize tasks and spend time wisely. The Leading Self program helps to develop focus by drawing leaders’ attention to their goals and teaching them to apply a personal compass to prioritize success and achievement (Universitas Telefonica, n.d.). This would have a positive influence on leaders’ task performance while also making their life more fulfilling.
Knowledge
Knowledge generation is among the key focus areas of the program. Through reflection and analysis, it will help leaders to learn more about their strengths, values, behaviors, vision, and barriers to success (Universitas Telefonica, n.d.). Each of these knowledge areas is crucial for improving leadership capacity and can thus help leaders to become more successful in various aspects of life.
Knowledge of personal strengths and weaknesses is critical for leaders since it allows them to engage in self-improvement. On the one hand, learning about individual strengths indicates the parts of personality or experience that could be used to attract success. On the other hand, knowing one’s weaknesses is vital for success because it shows areas of personality or behaviors that require adjustment. Developing self-awareness of both strengths and weaknesses is necessary because some traits that might seem negative can actually help to attract professional success. For example, a stubborn person might perceive this personality trait as a weakness, but applying stubbornness in the right way can aid in achieving career goals.
Knowledge of personal values is critical for leaders, too, because it helps them to stay true to themselves and make decisions that align with their moral standards. Oftentimes, people do not have a clear picture of their values, which causes them to make wrong decisions in career or personal life. Besides, when one’s values are unclear, one can easily be influenced by others. By providing leaders with a clear understanding of their values, the program can assist them in making better choices in leadership practice and living up to their personal standards. This, in turn, has a positive effect on leaders’ confidence and self-control, which are essential to success in various areas of business.
As part of the program, leaders will also have a chance to clarify their future vision and use it for direction. Good knowledge of one’s vision is pivotal to leadership since it contributes to personal development and makes decision-making easier. When a person knows where they want to be physically, emotionally, and professionally, they will be more focused and empowered to work on their goals and fulfill their plans (Logan, 2019). A vision can also help a person to change their habits, which can improve one’s life within a short period of time (Logan, 2019). Therefore, the knowledge gained from the program will support leaders in various aspects of their development.
The program also provides leaders with knowledge of the barriers and obstacles that could affect their chances of success. This is a crucial part of the program because it prepares leaders for possible future challenges, thus making it easier for them to adjust to or overcome struggles. Obstacles are part of a person’s growth and development, which is why it is impossible to avoid them and still reach success. However, people can improve their knowledge of possible barriers and create plans for addressing them effectively. Understanding the possible obstacles and obstacles can also help people to persist and treat every difficulty as a chance to learn something new. This attitude would be helpful for all leaders, regardless of their chosen professional field.
Techniques
One of the primary benefits of the program is that it provides practical information that could be used by leaders in the future. Therefore, there are some techniques introduced as part of the program that could help many leaders in their future personal and professional growth. Firstly, the program introduces action plans and provides an opportunity for students to create their action plans for development. In essence, an action plan provides a detailed overview of the steps required to achieve a particular goal. Despite its simplicity, this tool can have a powerful influence on one’s life and career. A well-made action plan provides a sense of direction while also enabling the user to track their progress on the path to a particular goal. This prevents people from being distracted or forgetting about their goals, thus contributing to the possibility of success. Developing action plans also prepares leaders for strategic decision-making, which is vital for personal and organizational success.
In addition, goal-setting is a useful technique that leaders can learn as part of the Leading Self program. Goal-setting theory is one of the most famous motivation theories. As noted by Latham, Sejits, and Slocum (2016), the goal-setting approach proved to be effective in improving the motivation and performance of individuals, teams, and organizations. Nevertheless, in order to yield these benefits, it is crucial to set goals correctly since the poor choice of goals or inadequate goal formulation can lead to an opposite result (Latham et al., 2016). Hence, learning the goal-setting technique as part of the program can assist leaders in their own personal development while also enhancing the results of their teams’ work.
Another useful technique introduced during the program is root cause analysis. This analytical tool is implemented to analyze the causes of possible barriers and obstacles (Universitas Telefonica, n.d.). Root cause analysis is a famous problem-solving instrument that allows identifying the factors contributing to a particular negative outcome in a comprehensive manner. The possible benefits of applying this tool are diverse. The most obvious advantage of using root cause analysis is that it aids in solving problems by addressing their sources. This, in turn, contributes to effective problem-solving and prevents similar issues from occurring in the future. Another essential feature of root cause analysis is that it allows mapping the relationships between different factors that could otherwise go unnoticed. This feature supports leaders in decision-making by helping them to see the big picture and target multiple problems at once. Therefore, obtaining information about this tool and learning its correct use can be beneficial from various perspectives.
Implementation
The knowledge, skills, and techniques obtained from the program can be applied by leaders in their work to benefit individuals, staff, and organizations. First of all, the program can assist leaders in fulfilling their career goals by achieving personal excellence. Since the core focus of the program is on self-development, leaders can apply their new knowledge and skills to make continuous improvement a part of their life. This will assist them in becoming more effective and productive at work, thus achieving the recognition they deserve and earning promotions. The program also provides leaders with a sense of direction, which is crucial for staying focused on one’s career goals and working towards them steadily.
Secondly, the program can help leaders to define and improve their leadership style. Although there is plenty of theoretical information available on leadership styles and techniques, applying them in real practice settings is often challenging since each leader has different qualities, traits, and experiences that have to be taken into account. The program does not teach how to apply different leadership styles at work; instead, it focuses on gaining the self-awareness necessary to develop a personal approach to leadership while capitalizing on one’s strengths. This path can prove to be beneficial since it aids leaders in applying theoretical knowledge to practice in line with their personal abilities, beliefs, and values. The resulting personal leadership style would be more sustainable and effective in the long term.
Thirdly, the program would be beneficial for mentorship since leaders will be able to pass on some of the things they have learned to other employees or team members. For example, if a co-worker experiences issues related to motivation, the leader can advise some tools and techniques that they could use to become more inspired at work. Mentorship is a significant part of leadership as it helps people to earn a positive reputation and the trust of other people. Hence, leaders who have completed the program can use the knowledge gained from it for other people’s benefit.
Furthermore, the program can help one to succeed at work through networking. Because the program is taught in groups, leaders will have an opportunity to socialize and learn together with people who are also ambitious, diligent, and have a passion for leadership. The connections gained as part of the program can aid leaders in advancing their careers by discovering new opportunities and building a positive image in the business community. Also, group learning encourages leaders to share their experiences and views. This provides leaders with the insight necessary to understand other people better and respect individual differences, thus improving their teamwork capacity and helping them to become more successful in their chosen careers.
Lastly, the information gained from the program can be used to enhance performance and achieve better results at work regardless of the selected career field. There are several ways in which the program influences leaders’ performance. For instance, goal-setting can assist leaders in defining the desired work results and generating the motivation necessary to achieve them. Similarly, the increased awareness about personal strengths helps to capitalize on them, thus supporting leaders in attaining better performance outcomes. Analyzing possible barriers and obstacles to success also impacts performance because it enables leaders to anticipate issues and work on preventing and solving them. Learning to focus can become instrumental in increasing work performance, too. One of the primary reasons why people struggle to meet their performance and career goals is that they are easily distracted. Distractions can cause people to make errors or postpone the work that has to be done until the last minute. This has a negative impact on work outcomes because it affects the quality of deliverables. Learning to focus and ignore distractions assists people in becoming more productive and ensuring that the results of their work are excellent. Hence, the potential effect of the program on personal work performance is significant.
Conclusion
In order to succeed in the modern world, leaders require knowledge, skills, and techniques that will make them more productive and support their development throughout their chosen career path. The Leading Self program by Universitas Telefonica provides numerous benefits for leaders with varying levels of experience. One of the crucial advantages of the program is that it enables leaders to develop self-awareness and reflection skills, which are foundational to personal and career development. By understanding their strengths and areas for improvement, leaders can establish goals and plans to capitalize on their positive qualities while addressing any limitations and shortcomings.
Additionally, the program benefits leaders by providing techniques that can be used both at work and in their personal lives. For example, root cause analysis can help leaders to develop excellent problem-solving capacity, which will aid them in career development. Another critical aspect of the program is that it provides direction and focus. Removing distractions and clarifying the steps needed to achieve one’s goals is essential to achieve success in leadership positions, as well as to fulfill personal ambitions. Besides using the skills, knowledge, and techniques learned as part of the program to improve their lives, leaders can also develop their own leadership style that will aid them in enhancing the performance of their subordinates. This means that the benefits offered by the program will have a significant effect on individuals, teams, and organizations.
References
Beheshti, N. (2018). How a daily self-reflection practice improves leadership performance.Forbes. Web.
Latham, G., Seijts, G., & Slocum, J. (2016). The goal setting and goal orientation labyrinth. Organizational Dynamics, 4(45), 271-277.
Logan, T. (2019). Why having a vision is the most important aspect of your life. Web.
Universitas Telefonica. (n.d.).Leading self. Web.