Reflection on Self Leadership Management

Discuss about the Reflection on Self Leadership Management.

Introduction

Business environment is present days becoming complex due to the effect of globalisation and having multifocal business. Employees in a business organisation thus require handling greater risks in the competitive market. Controlling own emotional intelligence is the effective way of managing risks. Self-leadership is the ability to make critical decision in difficult situation. Self-leadership helps to handle issues of anxiety, recreation, pride, time management and interpersonal skills. It is the method of developing self-awareness, self-confidence and the self-efficacy (Chuang, Shen & Judge, 2016). A team member needs to have responsibilities and accountability towards the team and the organisation. The report analyses different surveys reflecting my leadership skills required to development while working on the managerial executive position of BHP Billiton of Australia.  I am a part of the management team, who are responsible for managing financial reporting and execution of the improvement opportunities for finance function with Minerals Australia assets.

I work there with a cross-functional team and need to work with the process improvement with lean management. Planning, governing team members are important role of this position. Therefore, self-leadership is important criteria for managing a team. Self-leadership helps to evaluate personal strength and weakness while engaged with any complex task. In the view of Bryant & Kazan (2012), self-leadership is creation of transformation, ownership and impact on the team members. Some essential qualities that self-leaders has are positive attitude, managing failures, taking responsibilities, ability to be delegate, effective communication skills, confidence, effective intuition, having sense of humour, commitment towards organisation or work process. Through eight self-assessment tests, I judge myself regarding the quality of my self-leadership so that I can improve myself in order to achieve the career objectives in compliance with the organisational goal.

Personal profile

The personal profile is presented after analysing different surveys on self-leadership, positivity self test, Trait emotional intelligence test, self-efficacy test, psychological capital test, mindful awareness attention test, locus of control test. The finds of the test will be presented in a table showing the strengths, weakness and learning from the experiences.

Tests	Findings	How to interpret	Strengths	Weaknesses	Learning
Self-leadership test	A = 13, B = 9, C = 13, D = 6, E = 9, F  = 7 TS = 67 TS – E = 58	Evaluation of leadership strategy according to strategy dimensions	High levels of strategy have been used for self-observation, self-goal setting. Moderate level of strategies has been used for cueing strategies and self-punishment. Over all self-leadership strategies and strategies excluding self punishment are strong.	Low level of strategies has been used for self-award and challenge management practice.	Needs to improve emotional intelligence for better management of challenge
Positivity self test	The positivity score  = 10 and the negativity score = 3 The positivity ratio for today is  = 3.33	A higher positivity ratio is desirable for self-leadership. This ratio shows how a self-leader can control the emotions in order to flourish the life.	Positivity ratio greater than 3 indicates having positivity quality in character, which may help in motivating others.	Any disrespect for colleagues makes me annoyed. Therefore, I often engage in arguments with others. This feeling sometimes makes work environment uncomfortable.	Needs more endurance and improvement of positivity attitude
Trait emotional intelligence test	My emotional intelligence score = 4.066	The score above 5 implies higher emotional intelligence and score below 3 implies low2 emotional intelligence. The result shows that I have moderate level of emotional intelligence.	Highly motivated person, able to adapt new environment, full of personal strength and pleased with life, having positive perspective on every thing	Problems with expressing emotions with words somewhat, facing some extent of difficulties to stand up for my rights	The test has suggested that I need to improve my emotional intelligence in expression.
Self-efficacy test	Score = 4.83	Score above 3.5 signifies high efficacy. Higher self-efficacy determines that ability to produce desired outcome in workplace is greater.	Positivity in thinking and feeling helps to motivate others. Higher perceived self-efficacy influences behaviour while interacting with others. Having willingness to change behaviour according to circumstances	Although being motivated with self-efficacy, having little belief on bad luck while fails to perform any simple task.	Need to improve positive thinking while attempting difficult situation or facing any challenge.
Psychological capital test	Hope = 32 Self-efficacy= 35 Resiliency=35 Optimism = 29 Total = 131	As per the scale of psychological capital test, hope, self-efficacy and resilience are at higher level of the sub scale. Optimism is at moderate level.	Higher level of hope indicates that I can see the bright side of any gloomy circumstances. Higher efficacy and resiliency indicate I have greater competitive edge to adjust with any situation.	Optimism is at the moderate level as I sometimes think about the bad fate.	There is still some room for improvement in my behaviour in the area of optimism and hope.
Mindful awareness attention test	MAAS Score = 3.13	Score greater than 3 indicates higher level of mindfulness. However, the score of my mindfulness on the margin, which indicates not very high level of mindfulness	I remain focused on goal, while doing any work. I do not break any things because of carelessness.	Because of absent minded, I often do work without much awareness. I have difficulty in remembering numbers hearing one time.	The test suggests that I need to improve my attentiveness and be more mindful while taking responsibilities of any task.
Locus of control test	Score = 4	The score below 8 indicates that I have increasingly internal locus of control.	Attentive, and engage in activities for the improvement in organisational environment; I am more inclined to develop my own skills.	Feel myself responsible for any task, which is actually outside of my control.	Needs to improve emotional intelligence and control over self-emotion
Perceived person environment	Person job fit scale = 6.25, Person organisation fit scale = 6.67 Person group fit scale = 4.8 Person supervisor fir scale = 4.4 PPEFS total score = 5.53	The value above 5 indicates that my values and attributes are closely matched with my job.	My personal traits are well matched with my job role in BHP Billiton. I am dependable in nature so the higher authority can depend on me for completion any task within time and with efficiency.	There are some gap between my personality and personality of my colleagues. Leadership style of my supervisor is different than me. Therefore, there is a chance of dispute regarding any decision making.	I have to develop my leadership scale so that I can effectively work together with cross-functional team in the organisation.

Area for development

Area of development in my personalities can be appraised from the self-analysis of weakness and strength. It is suggested from the test that I need to improve the areas of emotional intelligence, mindfulness, communication skill. The result of locus of control test is below the desired level. MAAS score is also indicating to improve my self-leadership skill. As stated by Schwarzer (2014), mindfulness works at the functional domains of attention, which includes cognitive skill, emotion, behaviour and physiology. Therefore, I need to develop my skills over stability of thought, cognitive capacity, self-regulation and reaction on the behaviour of other people. I need to develop communication and inter personal skill so that I can express my emotions effectively in front of others. Lack of mindfulness often hampers work process and may have negative impact on the team member.

Improvement of mindfulness and communication skill can bring positive effect on work performance, relationship with the co-workers, collaborative teamwork, and well-being such as physical, psychological and behavioural (Cherian & Jacob, 2013). The self-leadership test has shown that the self-reward system is not effective for me. I need to improve these areas of my leadership attributes. As discussed by Dombrowski & Mielke (2013), self-reward is essential for self-motivation. It motivates to handle stressful situations. Although tests show that I have efficacy and positivity, I have to overcome some areas of negativity. I often blame myself for poor team performance and blame my bad luck although very infrequent. This feeling is obligatory for self-leadership (Stevenson, 2012).

I need to keep belief upon own hard work and perseverance. Improvement of these shortcomings may improve work performance and control over my emotional intelligence. Improvement in these areas is essential for the development in long run. If I am able to rectify the weak points of my leadership style, this will be helpful in future. Through development SMART goals, I can make better planning for my work process. SMART goals help to develop cognitive skills such as skill of using brain at the time reading, remembering, paying attention, learning and thinking.

Development of optimistic explanatory style

As discussed by Day & Sammons (2013), optimistic explanatory style has several dimensions such as internal or external, stable or unstable and global or specific. The first dimension discusses on whether a person has belief that he/she has control over the events. The stable dimension states the belief of the person regarding the repeated events, whether it is subject to change or not. The third dimension deals with the belief of the person regarding the impact of the specific event on a wider context or subject specific context (Kramer, 2012). An optimistic explanatory style says that the person always needs to explain about the negative outcome of an event.

An optimistic self-leader always does not blame him or herself and believes that change can be brought with the willpower and hard work. They take decision considering all external and internal factors and their impact on the self-behaviour and the surrounding environment. In a working environment, negativity may prevail. A self-strong self-leader has the capability to motivate other pessimistic team members by their optimistic attitude. As suggested by Nübold, Muck & Maier (2013), explanatory style focuses on prevention of depression. Self-analysis is done to find out personal strength and weakness and how to handle the unprecedented circumstances. Lewin model advocates for the change theory. This model states that a person needs to adapt change in organisation with equal competencies. Self-leadership helps the person to be dynamic so that change can be easier to adapt (Amundsen & Martinsen, 2014).

Development goals

These days with stiff competition, all around one, it is important to set certain personal goals. Setting goals sometimes helps one in motivating himself and work towards something that they want to achieve. According to Edwin Locke’s goal-setting theory, individuals who do possess the capability of setting precise and tricky goals execute better than the ones who goes about setting easy targets (Locke & Latham, 2013). Edwin Locke projected five fundamental principles of goal setting, which are challenge, clarity, commitment, complexity of tasks and feedback.

Accounting objectives takes into account the goals of the accounting department and staffs like me ‘Accounts Reporting Manager’. We are able to make for the company’s success. Business objectives, which are short-term, inclusive of the accounting objectives, take in the SMART objectives that are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-framed. For setting of each goal, required dimension needs to be recognized at time of setting of goals that denotes the criterion through which the goal is to be attained (Burnette et al., 2013).

For instance, as an Accounts Reporting Manager, my intention to construct regular financial reports might be measured by classifying the accounting periods like weekly or monthly project interval periods, generating income statements that are precise at the end of each phase (Chen, Zhu & Zhou, 2015). The performance management’s discipline works well by evaluating the grades of an action against its objective.  Through the objective of SMART accounting, generating an exact income statement draft inside few days of the monthly accounting period taking into account all the outstanding payables and receivables for the period. Measuring presentation against this objective necessitates copy of date on which the income statement draft is being created for each period and the accuracy level that is being attained. Individuals need to apply a chosen action or goal that would lead him to his desired result (Kiresuk, Smith & Cardillo, 2014).

Learning theory

Julian Rotter in 1954 developed the principle of locus of control. As per Lefcourt, (2014), it deems the propensity of people to consider that dwells internally within them, or in case of externally with others in the fray. People having high internal locus of control believes in their own capability for controlling themselves, influencing the things around them. According to Francis, (2014), their future depends on them and their own choices that lead to either success or failure. People having high external locus of control considers that control above events and the things that others do is beyond their control and they individually have little or no rule over things.

According to Lewin’s model, leading to any change process, which needs to be successful, one must understand the factors for which the change is taking place. According to Lewin, motivation for change needs to be created before the occurrence of actual change. According to Hayes (2014), Lewin model comprises of three stages. In the first stage which is known as the ‘unfreeze’, change includes setting up oneself to believe that change is essential that involves breaking down of the active status quo before one starts structuring a new one. An important aspect of this change is to develop a persuasive message depicting why the active way of undertaking things cannot prolong. In case of individuals or organizations, one needs to start from its mainstay. The second stage is the ‘change’ stage where people start resolving their uncertainty and search for new options of doing things (Burnes & Cooke, 2013). People needs to understand and analyze the ways that change would benefit them in the long-run as not everyone in an organization would support change.  The third stage of this model speaks about the refreeze stage where change has been finalized and people have hold close the new and better ways of working, with the organization ready to refreeze. During the refreeze stage, stability should be maintained in organizational charts with consistency in descriptions of jobs. Change needs to be integrated into the everyday life of the business, and that it should be comfortable than the previous one. 

Mindfulness can be referred to as a amenable attention and consciousness of current events and experience. A person while changing his behaviour must take into account various factors, among them one being intention. A person should hold the desire to bring in the changes before the behaviour change sets in. As per Brown, Creswell, & Ryan, (2015), people’s habit is often been regarded as a better prophet than intention. Behaviour when repeated negates the factor of intention. Habits can be modified and transformed in a way where strengthening of one’s intention is achieved through concentration and consciousness. Several researches suggest that enhanced attention to events (mindfulness) may have an impact on the capability of domineering things and sentiment that conflict with current intention (Gunnlaugson et al., 2014). People acting mindfully are the ones that possess the ability to ratify their intent than the non-mindful people. The behaviour of non-mindful people are more rigid and susceptible to contradict intentional habits.

Action plan

Action steps	Resources	Duration
Creation of life mission statement	Discussion with supervisors, corporate social responsibility report of BHP Billiton, company’s mission and vision statement	3- 4 days
Self assessment	Various self-leadership and personality development test.	25 - 30 days
Emotional flexibility: Creating self awareness about feelings and understanding	Face to face interaction with supportive people, stress management activities,	30 – 40 days
Identification of exemplar	Working knowledge with the most admired leader, reading biography or watching movie about great leaders.	10 -  15 days
Handling challenging and varied experiences	Projects, managing crisis, reading challenge management related magazines, books, Resources used in leadership programme.	20- 25 days

Conclusion

The study highlights several dimensions of self-leadership. The analysis starts with eight tests of self-leadership and different attributes. All the tests highlight some positive and some negative side of my leadership nature. Among the three dimensions such as self-efficacy, self-awareness and self-confidence, I am stronger in having self-efficacy and self-confidence quality. However, there is little absence of self-awareness skill, which is very important for self-leadership skill. The perceived person environment test indicates the need for development of collaboration with team members with effective communication skill. There is difference between objectives of group and my individual goal. This mismatch brings dissatisfaction in the functional process of the organisation. I have also problem in communicating my emotions to the members. Therefore, I have to improve my emotional intelligence and the cognitive skills in order to improve my job performance while working with the financer team and the cross functional team in BHP Billiton in Australia.

References

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