Leadership. Aspect 1: Effective leadership. Management Essay

Leadership
Name
Professor’s Name
Institution
Date
Leadership
Choose two or three aspects or areas you have encountered on this module or any of your business degree modules this year and discuss how you might be able to apply them in the workplace. You should focus on conceptual content, practical skills, and language skills.
Aspect 1: Effective leadership
Before this class, my idea of leadership was traditional. To me, a leader was someone who was at the top, and his main duty was to give orders and evaluate results. I believed that leaders were supposed to be shielded from the other employees and that they were never supposed to inquire or even engage the subordinate employees in discussions concerning the organization. However, this class has helped me realize that leadership is different and to be effective; one needs to accept that they are a small part of a whole. An organization is made up of different parts, and leaders are only a small part of it. My understanding of the above prepared me towards my understanding of effective leadership. Apparently, as a leader, aspects such as whether one is approachable, shows a willingness to learn and admit his mistakes matter a lot. These aspects are a facet of what makes an effective leader. Additionally, how one communicates and whether their message is delivered and initiates or triggers expected response is also another aspect of effective leadership.
Adu-Oppong and Agyin-Birikorang write that “communicating is an art and must be practiced effectively at the workplace for better output and achievement of goals of an organization” (pg. 208, 2014). To be an effective leader, one must practice and strive to communicate effectively with the employees. Good communication skills are essential if one is to be recognized as an effective leader. Communicating is quite a challenge, but I believe one can become better at it. The application of this attribute of an effective leader is quite simple because I will need to start practicing it with my colleagues. Aside from communication skills, effective leaders also need to be people who accept and admit their mistakes. Applying this in the workplace is not difficult because I only need to admit that being human and my abilities are limited. Admitting that I need help and that I may not have all the answers is a start towards becoming an effective leader. Thirdly, I can apply what I have learned about effective leadership by being approachable even when I do not hold a leadership position. Being available means that being open to new ideas. Laskowska writes that “great leaders listen to their employees: they take the time to ensure that they are approachable and they make time for their employees” (18, 2018). Therefore, to be an effective leader, I will need to make time for my employees and build lasting relationships with them. Effective leaders are people who start early and learn to be leaders before they assume their leadership positions. Therefore, one needs to learn the attributes of what makes an effective leader and then start working towards being one long before they are given the task of leading a group.
Aspect 2: Transformational leadership
Learning about leadership never en...