● What have you learned about yourself throughout the course of the semester?

     Before taking Principles of Leadership with Jonathan Ragone and Melissa Mastrogiovanni, I did not have a clear view of leadership. I defined and associated leadership with only great and admired leader likes Presidents, CEOs and such and it did not really occur to me that great leadership can also emerge from the general population. In addition, I generalized all leaders to be the same or have similar qualities, which I found out to be false. Different leaders have different leadership styles such as autocratic, democratic, laissez-faire, and so on. After I took this course, I learned that leaders come in many different forms. I learned that leadership can be viewed from different approaches such as trait approach, skills approach, style approach, situational approach, and so on. From this course, I found out that I look at the leadership from mostly a situational approach.  I also learned that I have equal point distribution for the true colors test, a personality assessment.  I have learned about my strengths and weaknesses from student leadership practices inventory (SLPI).  From the SLPI, I found out that I like to enable others to act, but do not like to challenge the process. 

● Which theories/practices/concepts have had an impact on you and why?

     Situational Approach and Hersey’s and Blanchard’s situational leadership style have impacted me the most in this course. When these concepts were introduced in class, I automatically associated myself with it. Since I associate myself with situational approach and situational leadership style, I pay especially close attention to the description of their strengths and weaknesses. From those two lectures, I was able to improve my leadership style and approach by improving upon the weaknesses that are associated with them.  I hope that by improving on the weaknesses of situational approach and style, I will become a better leader or at least a better prepared and understanding leader. 

● What have you learned about your personal leadership styles?

     I learned that I follow a situational leadership style. I am a leader that adapts based on the level of competence and motivation of followers.  According to Hersey’s and Blanchard’s Situational Leadership II Model, I should have a selling and coaching relationship with my followers. This means that the followers have some competence, variable commitment or unable but willing or motivated. For the leader, he must have high task focus and high relationship focus. In addition, the leader needs to convince followers of their decisions and spend time listening, advising, and helping followers to gain skills. Other approaches from Hersey’s and Blanchard’s Situational Leadership II Model would lead to either an unbalance between task and relationship of the leader and followers or a decrease in both task and relationship of the leader and followers.