Leadership

Leadership Challenge

What have I learned?

I learned that being a leader isn’t always being a leader. A good leader must create an environment that evokes self-disclosure and dialogic communication among all individuals involved. It also must include all types of communication in the workplace: horizontal communication, upward communication, and downward communication. I learned how important it is to listen to other’s ideas and not always carry that “burden” that a leader sometimes does. A good leader is one that creates a vision from all of the individuals involved through the fusing of ideas and creating a vision that is very unique. Being a leader is not a solo effort, for a good leader should engage all individuals involved in decision-making and encourage new ideas.
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What makes it relevant?

Well, I am in small group communication this semester, as well. So, it is going to be extremely beneficial in my future group work to know how a leader should perform most effectively. Whether I am the leader in that particular group situation or not, I will know how a leader should engage the other members and value their opinions.
In my profession, I am sure there be times when I have to manage or supervise employees. The knowledge of this information can also be applied in these settings.

What else do I need to know?

Concerning leadership, I would like to see examples of situations, in which, leaders have made bad decisions or, in general, have made bad decisions as a leader. Such as Larry Summer’s statement as the former President of Harvard University, “Publically expressing sentiments that women are not good at math and science." He made one statement that got him fired. These are kinds of situations, in which, a leader must be well-versed in, so they do not discuss the issue negatively but somehow know how to turn it around to not create any negative emotions or tension. Seeing examples of more leaders “gone bad” or making decisions that could jeopardize their career, or simply an approach that has been proven to be ineffective would help me understand what not to do in a leader situation.