MGT-604: Leadership and Organizations

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Self-Assessments and Reflection

Kathleen

Colangelo College of Business, Grand Canyon University

MGT-604: Leadership and Organizations

Dr. Jewell Winn

May 22, 2024

Characteristics of Conscious Leadership

As defined by Mackey and Sisodia (2014), conscious leadership emphasizes ethical decision-making, stakeholder orientation, and a higher purpose beyond profit maximization. Conscious leaders exhibit traits such as self-awareness, understanding their strengths, weaknesses, and values; emotional intelligence, managing their emotions and understanding the feelings of others; integrity, acting with honesty and fairness; inspirational vision, creating a compelling vision that aligns with ethical and sustainable goals; and a focus on stakeholders, prioritizing the well-being of all stakeholders, including employees, customers, suppliers, communities, and the environment. This reflection explores these characteristics, examines historical management theories, and analyzes self-assessment results to understand how they can enhance conscious leadership and self-leadership skills.

Historical Management Theories

Two significant historical management theories, scientific management and human relations theory, have shaped organizational behavior. Scientific management, developed by Frederick Taylor, emphasizes efficiency and productivity through standardized tasks and a hierarchical structure (Taylor, 1911). While Taylor's approach introduced time-and-motion studies, leading to more efficient production processes, it often overlooked the human element of work. In contrast, human relations theory, pioneered by Elton Mayo, places a strong emphasis on the importance of social factors in the workplace, such as employee morale and relationships (Mayo, 1933). Mayo's Hawthorne Studies demonstrated that attention to workers' social needs could enhance productivity and job satisfaction, highlighting the value of the human element in management.

Importance of Self-Awareness, Self-Concept, and Emotional Intelligence

Self-awareness, self-concept, and emotional intelligence are not just buzzwords, but powerful tools that can transform leadership. Self-awareness enables leaders to recognize their impact on others, make informed decisions, and align their actions with their values (Goleman, 1995). Self-concept involves understanding one's identity and helping leaders remain authentic and consistent in their leadership style (Robbins & Judge, 2019). Emotional intelligence is the key to effective communication, conflict resolution, and empathetic leadership, fostering a positive organizational culture (Northouse, 2018). By harnessing these skills, leaders can empower themselves and their teams, leading to more effective and fulfilling work environments.

Summary of Assessment Results

The provided assessments offered a valuable opportunity to delve deeper into my strengths and areas for development. The VARK Questionnaire revealed a preference for learning through visual and auditory methods, suggesting that I may benefit from utilizing multimedia resources and actively participating in group discussions to enhance my learning. The Cultural Competency Self-Assessment highlighted my openness to different cultural perspectives, which is an asset for working in diverse teams. However, it also identified a need to improve my understanding of implicit biases, those unconscious stereotypes that can influence behavior. Finally, the Rokeach Values Survey indicated that I value honesty and fairness highly. While these assessments provide a helpful snapshot, the actual test of leadership lies in action. However, the results can serve as a springboard for conscious leadership development. By understanding my learning preferences, I can seek diverse learning opportunities incorporating visual and auditory elements. Recognizing the need to address implicit bias will encourage me to educate myself about different cultures and perspectives actively. Furthermore, aligning leadership decisions with my core values of honesty and fairness demonstrates integrity and promotes team trust.

Reflecting on the Journey: Self-Discovery and Leadership

The assessments provided a framework for self-reflection, prompting me to consider my learning style, cultural competency, and core values. For instance, the VARK results suggest I learn best through lectures and group discussions. At the same time, the Cultural Competency Self-Assessment highlighted the importance of continuous learning to mitigate implicit bias. Understanding my value of fairness will motivate me to advocate for equitable treatment and create a just work environment. Additionally, recognizing my preference for visual and auditory learning will help me approach new tasks by seeking out various resources and involving team members with different strengths. For example, when introducing a new concept, I could utilize visuals alongside clear explanations and encourage questions to ensure everyone grasps the material. Effective leadership requires a balance of technical skills and emotional intelligence. It is crucial to understand management tactics and their impact on employees' motivation and performance. I have learned the importance of aligning leadership practices with core values and ethical principles. Building trust and fostering open communication are essential for leading others effectively.

Value of Analyzing Organizational Behavior

Analyzing organizational behavior from individual, group, and organizational perspectives offers valuable insights. The individual perspective helps understand personal motivations, strengths, and areas for development. The group perspective provides insights into team dynamics, communication patterns, and conflict resolution strategies. The organizational perspective highlights the broader impact of culture, structure, and policies on overall performance and employee well-being (Schein, 2017). My self-assessment results contribute to this analysis by providing a comprehensive understanding of my leadership style and potential areas for growth. This holistic view supports the development of strategies to enhance personal effectiveness and organizational success.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this reflection highlights the significance of conscious leadership and the importance of self-awareness, self-concept, and emotional intelligence in effective leadership. By leveraging the insights from various self-assessments, I can refine my leadership approach, align it with conscious capitalism principles, and contribute positively to my organization's culture and performance.

References

Goleman, D. (1995). *Emotional intelligence: Why it can matter more than IQ*. Bantam Books. Retrieved from [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26329.Emotional_Intelligence](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26329.Emotional_Intelligence)

Mackey, J., & Sisodia, R. (2014). *Conscious capitalism: Liberating the heroic spirit of business*. Harvard Business Review Press. Retrieved from [https://www.hbr.org/product/conscious-capitalism/11467-PBK-ENG](https://www.hbr.org/product/conscious-capitalism/11467-PBK-ENG)

Mayo, E. (1933). *The human problems of an industrial civilization*. Macmillan. Retrieved from [https://www.worldcat.org/title/676020](https://www.worldcat.org/title/676020)

Northouse, P. G. (2018). *Leadership: Theory and practice* (8th ed.). Sage Publications. Retrieved from [https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/leadership/book260734](https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/leadership/book260734)

Robbins, S. P., & Judge, T. A. (2019). *Organizational behavior*. Pearson. Retrieved from [https://www.pearson.com/store/p/organizational-behavior/P100000684903](https://www.pearson.com/store/p/organizational-behavior/P100000684903)

Schein, E. H. (2017). *Organizational culture and leadership* (5th ed.). Wiley. Retrieved from [https://www.wiley.com/en-us/Organizational+Culture+and+Leadership%2C+5th+Edition-p-9781119212041](https://www.wiley.com/en-us/Organizational+Culture+and+Leadership%2C+5th+Edition-p-9781119212041)

Taylor, F. W. (1911). The principles of scientific management. Harper & Brothers. Retrievedfrom[https://archive.org/details/principlesofscie00taylrich](https://archive.org/details/principlesofscie00taylrich)

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