Reflexive Journal Summary
Reflexive Journal Summary
This course has given me insights of different perspectives that involve leadership and taking of innovative action. On the topic on leadership and innovative action research, I have learned that professionals and practitioners have to undertake a systematic and deep reflection of their activities. This will help them establish sound plans, and appropriate methods that will help them to improve their practice leadership is part of a practice that requires an innovative research action to be undertaken so as to enhance one’s competitiveness and effectiveness. Undertaking an innovative action research helps one to generate, proposes and gain knowledge that will lead to change and improve performance and practice.
It is also through innovative action research that it becomes possible to establish collaborative and innovative interventions. This means that leaders who aim at bringing about change should first learn from their personal actions so that they can tackle the challenges that face them together with their followers. Through the tool of research, a leader is capable of understanding the challenges that face him together with his followers. This will mark the start of bring about change. Researching involves presenting the area of focus and describing a problem. Research questions are then proposed and followed by the implementation of the possible innovations. A timeline is set for the implementation and the needed resources are listed down. Data that is collected from this research is then analyzes and reported.
Coming with the solution to a social problem requires a well planned development project. I have learned that poverty is a social problem that can be eradicated when there is a good project in place. In order to fight poverty it, is essential for every individual to have a plan of their personal growth that will help them eradicate poverty. This means that a community that faces poverty has the ability of eradicating poverty away from their lives. Every human being is born with the ability of caring for oneself and contributing to growth and wellness of individuals in the society as a whole (Freire, 2003). Through establishing a development project, it is possible to establish a social change by enabling he community be aware of the strategy to use to eradicate poverty. Also, such a project requires a leader or a facilitator who will guide and mobilize the community members to come together for the success of the project. When the community members are aware of ways of eradicating poverty, they can market this strategy to the community authorities. This line of thought acts as a means of eradicating poverty through a logical way of thinking.
Another interesting topic I have learned in this course is on the importance of questioning culture to the organization. This is a culture which comprises of individuals who can question the decisions made by leaders in the organization and provide them with other alternative solutions to a problem. I have learned that having leaders who can hear the concerns of the junior staff members can change their ways of thinking and in the end reap better benefits. For instance the decision made by the CEO of an organization that I had worked in would have led an organizational downfall. This was a decision to retrench the senior employees above the age of 55 years. The CEO later learned that these senior employees brought about better solutions to the operation framework of the organization. The decision not to retrench them was instilled by other employees and he witnessed massive successes in reinvigorating the fortune of this organization through the support of senior employees. This shows the presence of a questioning culture than makes everyone accountable to the actions made in the organization. This culture is effective when employees are empowered to make their views known and are motivated to get involved in constructive reasoning (Benisa, 2004).
Last, I have learned that great importance is now being placed on leadership trait theories because individuals want to understand the qualities that make up great leaders. This means that there is the search of those unique qualities and traits that make a person be called a leader. These are the qualities that make an individual to be called a leader by his followers and be trusted to be called a true leader. Such qualities include intelligences, inspiring, courageous, and broad minded, vision oriented, competency, honesty, and many others. Such leaders are expected to be individuals who have strategic thinking, ability to manage conflicts, active listeners, and can empower their followers. Such qualities are what makes it possible to witness a new leadership style of individuals with the goal of achieving the set objectives and missions (MGR consulting 2006).
Reference
Benisa, B. (2004). Organizational culture: A framework and strategies for facilitating employee whistle blowing. Employee Responsibilities and Rights Journal, 16(1)
Freire, P. (2003). Pedagogy of the oppressed. An Analysis Review. Retrieved on http://www.comminit.com/democracy-governance/content/pedagogy-oppressed-paulo-freire-analysis
MGR consulting (2006). Why we need leaders? Newsletter Article. Retrieved from
http://mgrconsulting.com/Newsletters/eNewsletter_06_02.pdf
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