Reflecting on Leadership Traits
When considering what Stogdill described as important
leadership traits, and evaluating the type of leader that I currently am, I see
that I have a few of those traits that could make me a great leader. However, it
would appear that more of the traits he listed are ones I need serious work on
and currently hold me back. In general, I am not the one who would actively pursue
a leadership role and the biggest reason for this would be the responsibility.
However, it’s not the responsibility that holds me back, it’s the consequences if things don’t turn out well. Of course, my thought
process about this is changing after the things I am learning in this
leadership class. Being a leader isn’t about me leading a charge so-to-speak.
It’s about enabling others in my team to use their individual skills together
and aligning the right skills with the right task.
Self-confidence is another trait that Stogdill identified as
important that I would also consider a leadership handicap of mine. It has
gotten better over the years and with more experience, but I really struggle
with having the self-confidence needed to lead a great team. Of course it
depends on the assignment or the job that I am doing, but I have a really bad
habit of questioning myself, so if a team mate also questions me, then my confidence
goes right out the window. The good news is, I feel that this is a trait that
can be learned and improved upon.
The traits I have that really allow me to shine as a leader
are initiative, tolerance, and sociability. When it comes to doing a job, no
matter what the job, I am usually the one getting people motivated to get
going. I will be the first to take the initiative to start prioritizing parts
of a project. Once you prioritize then you can find the right person with the
right skills for each portion.
My tolerance for how people they do their job,
different types of frustrations, delays, and set-backs on a project are all pretty high. I believe that you
have to allow for a certain amount of freedom within your team so that they can
do what they need to do. I feel that some leaders see this as a loss of control over the team or their position within their team, but I see it as
allowing the team members to fine-tune their skills and self-correct when they
identify any problem areas.
One trait that I feel I was born with is the sociability
trait. I think most women were born with this trait, but some are better than
others. I have always been the one to identify those who will work well
together as well as identifying someone who could benefit by being paired with
someone else. In everything I do, even in my personal life, I am always tactful
and diplomatic about things. I am a bit of an introvert, which I feel works to
my advantage. I feel it gives people a sense of peace and calm as well as feeling
that I am trustworthy.
When it comes to trait’s versus skills in leadership style, I don’t believe it
is an EITHER/OR kind of thing. I feel that it is an IF/THEN type of situation.
IF you were born with the necessary traits to be a leader, then great! All you have to do is fine-tune them to become even better. But IF you were not born with them,
THEN you can learn them. I believe everyone has the has the potential to be a
great leader.
Reference:
Northouse, P. G. (2015). Leadership: Theory and Practice 7th ed.
Los Angeles, CA:Sage Publishing
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