The following post will address and reflect on what
I believe were some key developmental objectives that I had targeted prior to
the commencement of this module.
One objective I had set was developing an acute
knack for effective delegation. This objective was a manifestation of one of
the leadership styles outlined by Lewin (1939). Lewin establishes that in
addition to the authoritative and democratic leadership styles, there exists
another which is a hands off laissez faire manner of leadership. While I
certainly do not ascribe myself completely to one style, I had always believed
that I was too far toward the authoritative hands on region of the leadership
spectrum. However, with active reflection and development I have learnt to
prioritize my tasks effectively, especially as a leader, meaning that I could
more easily delegate less pressing issues and tasks to other members of my
team. Given my aspirations to become a leader in my field, I believe that this
development will allow me to further hone my leadership style and abilities in
order to create an effective team dynamic.
Another area that I targeted in my personal
development plan was communication, an area vital to team members on any level
of the organizational hierarchy. While I believe that I still need to continue
to enhance my communication skills, I have made giant strides in improving my
body language while communicating. This follows from Albert Mehrabian’s theory
that emphasizes that the key to effective communication is not what is said,
but how it is said. I think that now that I am able to convey positive body language
through my facial expressions and hand gestures for example, I will be more
effective in making my message heard. In an investment field that requires many
pitches and presentations, this skill will be invaluable.
One final area that I would like to reflect on
is my time management skills. Trueman and Hartley emphasize the importance of
effective time management. I have tried to implement this through the creation
of daily to-do lists and prioritizing my tasks. This way I was able to increase
the quality and quantity of work I produced in any given time period. As I look
to enter the field of finance that is known for its long and busy workload, I
believe this will be an invaluable skill for me as a potentially effective team
member.
All in all, while my developmental process in
this course has been an exercise in professional, academic and personal growth,
it by no means ends here. I plan to continue reflecting and developing to make
myself as appealing a professional as possible.
