Respond with 150-200 words. Each must include at least two questions in the response.
Latanya
During the program, I have learned several meaningful and practical tools in leadership. One principle that stands out is effective communication, which emphasizes active listening, clarity in conveying ideas, and adapting communication styles to different situations. When it comes to effective communication as a leader, you can provide clear expectations and guidance and be transparent. Effective communication also goes beyond the workplace. It has helped me be a better parent when communicating with my children and in my relationship. Another valuable practice is conflict resolution. As a leader, conflict resolution is vital within the organization. When conflict can be resolved, it helps in a more positive work environment and enhances teamwork and productivity. I find it stressful coming to work when I have an issue with my coworkers and have gone to my leader, which has yet to be resolved. It makes you feel like your voice does not matter. Now that I have more background knowledge of these practices and principles, it has helped me become more of a leader and team player than I was before.
As for the most surprising things I have learned about leadership, one realization is the importance of the word leadership and its meaning. For the longest, I used to let the word leadership get to me because of the title and the way people would throw it around because that was their way of establishing power. When in reality, leaders are the ones who take the time to nurture and mentor you. When a leader is focused on you as an individual rather than the title of leader, they look at your potential to help guide you personally in the right direction instead of seeking personal growth and gain for themselves. Another surprising thing I learned is how much emotional intelligence can affect your workplace operations if you do not have it under control. So understanding and managing emotions, both in oneself and others, dramatically impacts leadership effectiveness and the overall dynamics of a team.
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Scott
Over the course of this program, I have gained so much more insight into what makes a good leader. I thought leading was just something that some people are good at, and others are not, but there is much more that goes into leadership than just leading. One of the things that has stuck with me is when we learned about emotional intelligence, which I did not even know about but already was doing. I have always paid close attention to how others are, and it is very important to know when your coworkers or followers are having a bad day or struggling with something, and you can tell just by their emotions. You have taken the time to pay attention and learn about them to know when something is wrong.
Another big thing that I have learned from our leading in diverse & global context class was being able to lead in another country or be able to lead someone from another country that is working with you. Not everyone does everything the same way as we do, and it is not fair to expect others to be the same, so we have to learn how to adapt and change what we do to help those people from other countries succeed. I enjoy helping others be successful, and it is one of the main reasons I wanted to learn how to be a better leader. I want to be able to help many more people accomplish the goals they have for themselves and be there when they need guidance.
