Self Analysis Leadership Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Self Analysis Leadership - Assignment Example Leadership has been also related to the ability of individuals to control the activities of employees (Rost, 1993, p.101); however, the above description of leadership is not successful since the control of activities of others is not necessarily part of the duties of a leader since it is a task that can be also delegated to an employee at lower levels of the organizational hierarchy. Through my discussions with friends and colleagues, I have come to the decision that leadership is a complex concept; this means that it is difficult to set the criteria that are of primary importance for evaluating the leadership skills of an individual. Under certain circumstances, an individual can be considered as an excellent leader even if he is not capable of communicating with others; for example, a leader that took the right decision in a critical case could be characterized as a good leader irrespective of his leadership skills in general. For me, effective leadership consists of two key eleme nts: the ability to handle crises and the ability to communicate. A Short Life History in Regard to Leadership I have been helping my father in our family business for many years. I had the chance to understand the challenges that a leader has to face. My father had to develop a wide range of tasks including the communication with customers and employees, the development of arrangement with suppliers and the suggestion of plans for securing the competitiveness of the business. In addition, there have been certain family values that have highly influenced my views on leadership: trust, support and cooperation. My father had helped me to understand that cooperation with others is quite important for achieving critical targets; reference is made not only to professional life but also to personal life in general. He had also explained me that cooperation and support should not be considered as weaknesses but rather as attitudes of a successful leader. My father used to say that a leader who has not managed to gain the trust of his followers should not be characterized as a successful leader. In my family, trust has been related not only to the truth but also to inspiration and support. My first experiences in leadership, as developed in the context of the family, have helped me to realize the characteristics of leadership and its power to influence the social and economic life worldwide. An Example of Leadership Attitudes In school I had the chance to experience leadership, even for a short period of time. In the third year of college, I was proposed the position of the leader for an important event – the college’s annual manifestations for the New Year. The duration of the manifestations were 3 days, from the 30th of December to the 1st of January and included a series of events such as a music event, an exhibition with the paintings of the college’s students and a speech of the college’s principal to the students and the staff. During these 3 days my leadership skills were highly tested – for about two months: since the beginning of November, I had to communicate on a continuous basis with students and staff so that the whole project is carefully planned. I had also to check the availability of resources required and ensuring that costs are kept as low as possible. At the same time, I had to cooperate with colleagues so that tasks are appropriately assigned and monitored. Controlling the