Patrice Peterson 1 Final Paper Patrice Peterson Florida State University Professor Ravi Bhatt 08 03 2023 LDR 2101 Leadership Theory and Practice Patrice Peterson 2 Leadership can mean different things to different people It s one of those words where an individual has to come to a conclusion about its definition based on real world experience and worldview From what I know now about leadership I would define it as the ability to influence and inspire others based on a common goal Leadership is attainable through collaborative efforts between leaders and followers in environments that foster positive and sound decisions that help the collective attain a goal through progress and success And to help me come to this conclusion this course has offered the opportunity to study different styles theories and approaches as it relates to leadership From these concepts I ve gained knowledge on effective leadership and realized how I implement those in my everyday life Leadership is more than just a leader and a follower It is comprised of the application of leadership theory personal leadership styles and your definition of leadership To start this course has made me come to terms with the styles of leadership that best fit me I have learned that my personal leadership style is comprised of different leadership theories The first I d like to discuss would be team management based on Blake and Mouton s Managerial Leadership Grid within the behavioral approach I say this because I emphasize tasks and interpersonal relationships This style promotes participation and teamwork through trust and respect The behavioral approach to leadership more specifically team management can impact leadership experiences significantly in many different ways It can improve team performance enhance communication increase motivation and reduce conflict By focusing on both the person and task there is a balance that is created between the leader and their team That balance is meeting the team s needs while also achieving productivity goals Through this increased morale and productivity the team can enhance communication Leaders who take on a Patrice Peterson 3 team management style are big on communication and creating a positive and open work environment This enforced communication can in turn lead to some form of group understanding and stronger work relationships And through these increased work relationships motivation toward a common goal is also increased If a leader demonstrates genuine concern and builds genuine connections with their followers they feel supported That support then encourages them to perform at their best ability because they feel valued through that support This support ignites a level of commitment from their followers to their work All of these together reduce conflict because everyone is now acknowledging that common goal and actively working towards it together I believe that this team management style represents me and my leadership abilities because this is exactly what I see within my team I am big on team collaboration toward better productivity as well as the well being of my followers Both of these components are necessary in my opinion to have an effective team through effective leadership and this style is one way to showcase that Another leadership style that represents me would be a coaching style S2 within the situational approach The premise of the theory is that different situations demand different kinds of leadership From this perspective effective leadership requires that people adapt their style to the demands of different situations Northouse 2019 p 101 Yes indeed you cannot be an effective leader without the use of all four leadership styles within the situational approach but the coaching style best represents my supportive and developmental levels The coaching style is high directive and high support which is how I tend to lead my followers It s my personal goal as mentioned in the text to focus my communication on meeting followers socioemotional needs while also goal achieving As someone who resonates with this coaching style I am involved with my team through encouragement and gaining input My goal is to be Patrice Peterson 4 somewhat in the middle with my leadership skills so that if need be I can switch without losing the impact on my followers That is why it is called a situational approach Because you have to be able to adapt to the needs of your followers in your goals to get results As a leader you need to be able to correctly identify when and where to use certain skills In most instances you need to be able to give direction and support to get good results The coaching style focuses on individual development and growth within skills and capabilities It allows leaders to tailor and alter their approach to the team s needs as well as individuals Through providing constructive feedback promoting support and guidance and encouraging continuous learning Like I said before all of these styles from supporting coaching delegating and directing are all important to create a well balanced leader with optimal results but coaching just best represents me and my leadership style The next Leadership theory would be a servant leader Servant leadership emphasizes that leaders should be attentive to the needs of followers empower them and help them develop their full human capacities Northouse 2019 p 336 I believe that a leader such as myself who practices servant leadership focuses on serving and supporting their team instead of using their authority for personal gain I believe that through serving others you can create a positive trustworthy and collaborative environment that is built with the end goal of growth A servant leader listens empathizes heals and persuades along with many other characteristics described in the text Not only do I believe that a servant leader describes me I feel like it is implemented in my current leadership abilities My end goal of being a leader is always to help those following my guidance to grow into leaders themselves Through servant leaders teams can encourage a sense of purpose and meaningfulness in their work this positive impact on the team affects the overall organizational culture of the group I am an advocate for my followers in Patrice Peterson 5 helping them to succeed in any way that I can and as a servant leader that is the best platform for me to do so Based on the trait approach I believe myself to be a great leader