Reflection On Leadership Development Class

When I signed up for this class, I expected to learn a few new things about leadership. I figured that with the amount of leadership development I had already been through, there could not be that much more I could learn from a class. I expected this introduction to leadership development class to be a simple rehashing of everything else I have ever learned about leadership, but I quickly found that I was very wrong with this class leading me to a great deal of insight about leadership and myself. In this final paper, I hope to bring together what I have learned about leadership as an idea and as a personal practice through this class.

To begin with, I have definitely seen my view of leadership as an idea change over the course of this semester.

Each theory is a different piece of the mosaic that is leadership and in order to understand the whole thing, you have to take a step back in order to truly appreciate it. From great man to leader member exchange, each leadership theory has something to add to my understanding. This stance shares the core idea of situational leadership that “to be an effective leader requires that a person adapt his or her style to the demands of different situations” [Northouse, 2005, p. 99]. The situational approach assesses the skill levels and enthusiasm of the individuals in order to determine which leadership style is most effective. It sets up a tool belt of different leadership

One of the clearest examples of my multifaceted approach to leadership was through my high school theatre experience. Throughout my time doing theatre, I made it my mission to try and help all new members within the stage and building crew find a home there and become comfortable working in the shop. At the time, I thought I was carrying out servant leadership as I was more focused on serving these new people in the organization over advancing my own interests. However, in hindsight I recognize that what I was doing was a textbook case of leader member exchange theory. I had formed an in-group around me that offered knowledge, belonging, community, and other benefits to the members of the group. What I now realize is that I was helping all those new people who joined find a home. The majority of them were not there because they wanted to become master carpenters; instead they wanted a place they felt like they belonged. I had accidentally keyed into the real reason they were there and leveraged that to be an effective leader. I have realized then that the method used in providing leadership to a group is less important than the intention behind it. Therefore, the why becomes the most important aspect of leadership and the various styles and theories are like different tools to accomplish that primary