This centred on cultivating leadership understanding, elucidated in the CIPD Factsheet What is leadership? Leadership involves grasping individuals’ motivations and harnessing them to attain collective objectives (Kramar,2014). The framework of self, others, and the job emerged as pivotal components in the leadership equation. The ‘hackathon’ and the subsequent report underscored the value of purpose-led businesses, highlighting the motivational impact of shared purpose on teams. Significantly, leadership extends beyond hierarchical roles, with the concept of inclusive leadership explored in a CIPD-sponsored report advocating for recognising biases to enhance decision-making (West,2004). Ethical leadership theories, stemming from the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis and gaining prominence amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, were spotlighted, underscoring the significance of ethical considerations in contemporary leadership practices. This week’s lessons have provided a multifaceted view of leadership, emphasising its diverse dimensions and evolving nature. It has also made it possible to investigate other leadership philosophies, discover one’s style, and do reflective analysis. Gain knowledge to improve leadership abilities, encouraging development and flexibility in various situations.
Thoughts and Reflections
The insights from the factsheet and the provided quotes and examples have expanded our understanding of leadership. Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s metaphor about building a ship resonates with inspiring a shared vision rather than just giving orders (Tamkin & Luanaigh,2016). The inclusive leadership concept challenges traditional views and underscores the importance of diverse perspectives.
Critical Incidents
A critical incident involves a team project needing more shared purpose, leading to decreased motivation and a less successful outcome (Bond & Naughton., 2011). This aligns with the importance of purpose in leadership, emphasising its impact on team dynamics and performance.
Analytical Account
Before engaging with the module, the view of leadership was somewhat traditional, associating it mainly with top-level management. The module’s content challenged these preconceptions, presenting leadership as a dynamic, adaptable process. Ethical considerations and inclusivity are now integral aspects of understanding leadership.
Strengths and Weaknesses
A strength is the ability to appreciate the importance of a shared vision. However, a weakness is a tendency toward a more task-oriented approach. Balancing task and people-oriented aspects will be a crucial area for improvement.
Professional Practitioner Alignment
This week’s learning has propelled us to align thoughts and behaviours more closely with a professional practitioner. The importance of inclusivity, shared purpose, and ethical considerations are integral to professional leadership.
Moving Forward
The lessons learned this week have given a more holistic perspective on leadership, pushing to develop inclusiveness abilities by actively seeking different viewpoints and encouraging inclusive decision-making in group projects. Effective leadership now requires balancing task-oriented duties with interpersonal interactions as a critical tactic. The dedication to lifelong learning emphasises the significance of being up to date in this ever-evolving area, as does the suggested readings on ethical and people-centred leadership theories (Ahmad et al., 2017). Developing a reflective practice regimen is essential because it offers a systematic way to assess leadership behaviours regularly and identify areas where we can improve. As we absorb these ideas, the challenge is to turn theory into practice, actively incorporate these tactics into a good leadership style, and continuously improve our abilities to satisfy the changing needs of successful leadership.
Reference
Kramar, R., (2014). Beyond strategic human resource management: Is sustainable human resource management the following approach? The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 25(8), 1069–1089.
West, L.S., (2004). What is Leadership? (pp. 1–36). Research report 1. Exeter: University of Exeter.
Tamkin, P., & Luanaigh, A. N. (2016). The relationship between U.K. management and leadership and productivity. Institute for Employment Studies. Obtenido de https://www. Employment studies. Co. Uk/system/files/resources/files/ukces0816c_0. Pdf.
Ahmad, S., Prahmana, R. C. I., Kenedi, A. K., Helsa, Y., Arianil, Y., & Zainal, M. (2017, December). The instruments of higher-order thinking skills. In Journal of Physics: Conference Series (Vol. 943, No. 1, p. 012053). IOP Publishing.