A511.9.3.RB - Course Reflections

At the beginning of the course, I defined leadership as a person that unites and motivates a group of people toward a common cause or goal.  I don't think I'd change that definition, now that the end of the course is drawing near.  The way I defined it applies to all the situations I can think of.  To be any more specific would be to deny the title of leader to those that are truly leading people.

Moving through this course and learning the different leadership theories has explained some things to me, about the role of a leader.  I guess I've had a bit of natural leadership ability, being able to read what makes people tick; what motivates them.  Now, with the exploration of leader-member exchange theory and path-goal theory (Northouse, 2018), I have terms to apply to what came naturally.  I can now be more deliberate in the actions I may already have taken.

The type of leader I aspire to be is somewhere between an adaptive leader and a servant leader.  I try to put the needs of my people ahead of everything else.  The military side of me says that sometimes the mission comes first, though.  I have to learn to reconcile those two sides of me, which I suppose is part of being adaptive; learning when and how much to serve.

Reference

Northouse, P. (2018).  Leadership: Theory and Practice 8th ed. SAGE Publications. Kindle Edition.