Discussion Post: Theory and Real-Life Application to Leadership

Respond to the following post in one paragraph each. Post 1 There are many facets of leadership. One aspect of leadership is to show how and what to do through actions. Action research living theory in real-life application directly impacts the leader’s influence on themselves and others in the organization. Action research is inquiry based on efforts to improve an organization. The overarching question is, “How do I improve what I am doing?” as stated by McNiff (Nanwani, 2022). More specifically, this question needs to be asked in regards to improvement in the leadership role. We read about this process in our class with the example of a graduate student, Joan Walton, and her dissertation. Joan’s dissertation involved action research and other methods, such as narrative inquiry, where she provided valuable feedback for consideration (Nanwani 2022). The first step she took involved a melding of narrative inquiry and action research. This created a pathway for people to learn independently. This acquired strategy enabled others to solve different problems independently. The second step encourages confronting difficult situations and meeting them head on. This can be uncomfortable but results in the greatest sense of accomplishment. The third revelation for Walton was that final or universal truths can be misleading (Nanwani 2022). Often the resolution that there is no definitive resolution is the answer. Aside from these three steps, Walton found other outlets for reflection which involved journaling and meditation. She used the following set of questions to guide her reflective journaling: What really matters to me? What do I care passionately about? What kind of difference do I want to make in this world? What are my values and why? What is my concern? Why am I concerned? What kind of experiences can I describe to show the reasons for my concerns? What can I do about it? What will I do about it? How do I evaluate the educational influences of my actions? What really matters to me? What do I care passionately about? (Nanwani 2022). I am an elementary school ESL teacher. Our new reading program centers on themes that revolve around an essential question. This strategy reminds me of that to a degree. I tell my students that they need to have the essential question in the back of their minds at all times when reading the story. It helps focus the learning. Post 2 Leadership practices can be improved through introspection and reflection on leader experiences and actions, according to the action research living theory approach (Whitehead & McNiff, 2006). This approach involves collecting information on one's own leadership style, analyzing the information to determine its significance, and applying the knowledge gained to enhance performance. As a leader, you can use data analysis and introspection to enhance your practices. This means keeping an eye on your activities and the results they produce as well as assessing how effective your leadership style is. You can then pinpoint your areas of weakness and create plans to strengthen your leadership abilities (Whitehead & McNiff, 2006). Maintaining a reflective notebook, asking colleagues and subordinates for feedback, and routinely going over and assessing the results of your leadership choices are all helpful self-reflection exercises (Whitehead & McNiff, 2006). By using these techniques, you can gain a better understanding of your leadership style and its effects, which will help you make more informed decisions that will increase your effectiveness as a leader. As a nurse, this is a practice we are taught to engage in regularly to improve our practice. We also have undergraduate courses that address this specifically, called praxis which is very similar to action research living theory.