Personal Leadership Profile
Personal Leadership Profile
Working as a shift manager in a liquor store, exposes one to managerial and leadership roles. One has got to step up to the challenge and deliver. Leadership itself is a process and a career that ought to be natured and improved continuously with the passage of time. Leadership is a continuous learning process. Through mistakes and successes, one continuously demonstrates suitable leadership. Perhaps that is why leadership is usually equated to experience in other forums. Leadership demands of the following attributes:
As a leader, one has to listen to his juniors and superiors alike. Ordinarily, companies or organizations are hierarchical. Despite the vertical structuring, one has got to listen from either direction. The ability to listen earns a manager understanding, internal comprehension and positive analysis. Listening enables one to communicate effectively with others. In management, communication must inevitably be proper and effective. Through communication, managers are able to execute their orders and instructions. Workers are able to get instructions and undertake the implementation process. The communication process requires good listening skills. One would be able to give instructions and at the same time collect any feedback. Employees tend to communicate to their superiors when they feel they would be listened to. Otherwise, they would rather keep the message to themselves.
Open mind
Leadership requires an open minded approach. A leader ought to approach issues with an open mind that is receptive of other people’s ideas. Ordinarily, due to the inherent differences in humanity, people have diverse methods and solutions for executing duties. A leader ought to listen to suggestions and recommendations from others so as to settle for the best decision that is all inclusive and accommodates everyone. However, it should be appreciated that leadership does not necessarily require the application of everyone’s ideas and proposals. Rather, the leader should be able to listen to all proposals and settle for the best solution in the interest of all. In other words, a leader should be able to apply utilitarian principles in which policies are decided in the interest of the majority.
Social nature
Leadership demands for a social approach to the community around the manager. The manager as a matter of fact must understand his community well. Community here refers to employees, superior management, suppliers and buyers of the products. In the liquor store, for instance, one must purpose to understand his customers well. Liquor consumers, as you would already know, are not the ordinary normal customers. They need special and selective treatment that rubberstamps to them the fact that you do respect and value them. In addition, operating shifts can be tedious and frustrating. The employee does not necessarily empathise with you. They do not own your core values and ideals. Yet one is expected to manage and organize them. The manager must apply a sober, equitable and temperate approach in managing such groups. This is only possible by properly socializing with the diverse groups. It helps in understanding their conceptions and perspective of issues.
Team work
With increased globalization, organizations have been compelled to increase their competitive edges. One sure way of gaining a competitive advantage over the others, is through teamwork. Team working enables players in the organizations maximize on their collective potential and consequently post positive results. In the liquor stores, work could be divided into processes and stages. This is in appreciation of the Adams’ principles of division of labour and specialization of work. However, it does not imply that employees would be limited in terms of what exactly they do. Through teamwork, a leader must coordinate his group’s activities and develop in the workforce the culture of teamwork.
Aggression
Aggression does not necessarily require one to be loud. Aggression demands for organizations to be on the lookout for opportunities and available alternatives that essentially maximize company profits. A leader must be aggressive and determined. One must spread his option strategically. The policy usually entails making informed decisions that maximize opportunities through leverage on organizational strengths. As a leader, one should have his cards close to the chest. One’s policies and likely course of action should not be predictable. Aggressive managers keep themselves abreast with market developments. Consequently, they are able to make informed and calculative decisions that leverage on organizational strengths.
Challenges
Leadership comes with colossal responsibilities and expectations. The discharge of these responsibilities occasions challenges. A leader’s capacity is determined by his ability to overcome challenges. In the liquor store, one could be faced with difficult situations where decisions have to be made. In many cases, the decisions would not be accepted by all concerned parties. A leader must learn how to handle such situations. One should take the trouble of explaining the rationale in his decisions. Employees appreciate when managers show them that their suggestions and interests were considered even if not necessarily approved. In the liquor store, for example, one has got to explain to employees why they were assigned to a particular shift despite having shown interest in a different shift. The process should be fair and ought to appear fair.
It becomes a challenge when managers are confronted with varying interests and demands. A manager should stick to the provisions of the law. However, employees should be allowed opportunities to challenge decisions and policies. An employee with a reasonable and justified quest should be allowed fair hearing and attention. It is in such scenarios that the manager’s understanding is brought to the test. Managers must never be egocentric or selfish. One has to think about the overall interest of the organization and society as a whole.
Professionalism and accountability
Leadership as an institution calls for professionalism and accountability. As a leader, even in the face of adversity and temptations, one must stick to the leadership principles and ideals. One must remain accountable at a professional level. The decision making process should, therefore, be strategic and informed. One must be ready to stick to his decision and shoulder the consequences that come with it. The application of professionalism in management and leadership should never be compromised.
Conclusion
Ultimately, the dictates of good leadership does not rely singularly on the organizational structure and infrastructure. Rather, what counts is the personality of the leader. A leader should be charismatic, understanding and accommodative. It is advised for leaders to be assertive and focused in the execution of their duties. It is noteworthy that leaders should belong to the utilitarian class of thinkers. This primarily advocates that decisions and policies should be in the interest of the majority. As a leader, focus should be towards achievement of objectives and maintenance of the organizational core values.
References
Griffin, R. W. (2012). Management. New York: Cengage Learning.
Western, S. (2007). Leadership: A Critical Text. New York: Sage.
Williams, C. (2010). Management. New York: Cengage Learning.
