Answer

1. Personal Leadership Evaluation

    

   The purpose of this paper is to reflect on my personal leadership style following an online leadership style self-assessment exercise using MindTools. The scope of this reflective paper includes identification of my personal leadership style and my leadership strengths and challenges. In addition, a development plan for building upon my strengths and improving or working on challenges to enable me to lead teams and motivate others. The leadership style promotes achievement of organizational goals and achievement of desired goals such as a motivated staff.

   Online self-assessment using the MindTools after completion of provided quizzes classifies me as a leader who leans towards participative or democratic style of leadership.  The participatory leadership style is based on involvement, collaboration, and participation of employees or team members in decision the problem-solving and decision-making process (Bhatt et al., 2019). I had scored 22 in the self-assessment test. I identify with the description that I do set parameters for a task or work and tend to have a final say on decisions; however, I do this by actively involving my team members in the process (MindTools, 2019). Followers of a participative leader are likely to develop a sense of psychological ownership of the organization, intrinsic motivation, significant relationship with themselves and the leader, feelings of self-worth, and reduced sense of powerlessness (Bell, Chan, & Nel, 2014).

   The democratic leadership style has strengths. The key strength is that it allows me to build stronger ties and trust with other people, since I will make them feel valued and engaged. The other key strength or benefit of this leadership approach is that others provide me with valuable insights into issues or processes that I could have not otherwise come up with if I would have been working alone (MindTools, 2019). In participative leadership style, the leader gives opportunities to employees and team members to share their creative ideas and point of views to improve a critical situation. In addition, a participative leader tends to invite employees and team members and empowers them so as to take part effectively in decision making. The leader who uses this approach is likely to make followers to be much devoted in what they are doing, which increases the chance of goal achievement; thus, enhancing performance. Motivation of employees or followers is the main advantage associated with the democratic or participatory leadership style; thus, promoting organizational citizenship behavior due to infatuation and empowerment (Bhatt et al., 2019).

   The approach is also characterized with some challenges or shortcomings. The key challenge that is associated with the participative or democratic leadership style is that it does not work well in high pressure situations since the leadership approach may be slow in achievement/completion of desired actions or outcomes. Another challenge is that I have to struggle with people especially during consultations since I do not like conflicts and disagreements (MindTools, 2019).  Democratic leadership style increases employee morale and uptake of decisions easily across the staff with low risk of resistance to change (Bell, Chan, & Nel, 2014). The other disadvantage of participative leadership is that team members tend to experience social pressure to conform to team/group dominion. Another issue is that in may be inefficient issue that require immediate and specific actions and may lead to indecisiveness (Psychologia, 2019).

   The following is the action plan for building on my strengths. To better develop and strengthen trust relationships, I should set example, as a leader, by being more flexible and open to others. I believe that others are likely to follow suit; thus, improving overall group experience. In addition, I have to develop a culture of mutual acceptance so as to ensure that everyone is participating in discussions, debates, and for developing solutions for solving issues.  This style of leadership will enable me strike a balance between satisfying the needs of my followers and the need to meet organizational needs. A participative leader tends to be involved, in a balanced manner, in helping balancing employee needs and organizational needs/goals (Bell, Chan, & Nel, 2014).

   The following is the action for helping me workout on challenges and shortcomings associated with the participatory or democratic leadership style. The ultimate aim is to lead and motivate teams. My priority area is to learn how manage conflict and resolve conflicts. First of all, I have to build a culture in which my team members can develop healthy debates with low risk of conflicts and misunderstandings. I will have to learn and master conflict resolution skills since conflicts in a team cannot be prevented at all times regardless of best efforts to do so (MindTools, 2019). Another short coming is the fact that decision-making process may be slow and be time consuming if I involve each and every member in making in every decision. Therefore, I ought to be considerate and selective as to which decisions should be made by me alone and on what decisions require other’s participation.

   I can use this approach to achieve desirable results in my organization. First of all, through this style I can easily promote organizational citizenship behavior in the organization and make the employees to perform extra roles and duties. The leader needs not to have a particular reward system so as to motivate and make employees to perform extra duties and roles or perform beyond the expectations (Bhatt et al., 2019).  A participative leader is more likely followers to engage themselves in career develop activities and trust. The leader then creates a smooth relationship between him/her with the followers. Trust is directly proportional to organizational citizenship behavior. For better chance of realizing success a participatory leader ought to maintain his/her competence, integrity, reliability, and credibility (Bhatt et al., 2019). In addition, I should show true concern for issues affecting my followers and care for them through reciprocal social exchange process. Bhatt and colleagues (2019) have noted that employees who are treated well by the leaders tend to show reciprocity towards to the organization leading to increased employee performance.

   In conclusion, my leadership style is participatory or democratic leadership style. The strengths of this leadership style is there is trust between the leader and followers, motivation of employees, and that employees are likely to be pushed to perform their expectations. However, this style may lead to indecision difficulty in making urgent decisions and pressure on employees to conform to the group.  My action plan is to improve may conflict resolution skills and be aware of decisions that I should make alone and on which ones I should involve the group.strategies in doing their jobs.