Team Leader By My Group example essay topic
Respected leaders concentrate on what they are (such as beliefs and character), what they know (such as job, tasks, and human nature), and what they do (such as implementing, motivating, and provide direction). I believe that I possess many strengths that make me a good leader. One of my strengths is that I constantly seek responsibility and take responsibility for my actions. I am always asking if there is anyway I could help out more in MMA and in my sorority. I want people to look up to me and respect me and I know that things do not always go as planned, and I never blame others for my mistakes. Also, I always try and analyze the situation I am in and find some way to correct the problem before moving on to the next challenge.
I believe my best strength is that I make timely decisions. I never procrastinate and I always plan ahead and try and give myself ample time to get tasks completed and make a decision. In all my teams for class I try to set the example and act as a good role model. I believe that if one person slacks, everyone in the group will model to that person, and that is never the direction you want an effective group to go in. When working in a group, I also make sure that everyone is informed. I am usually the one sending out the emails to delegate tasks and making sure that everyone is up to speed.
Lastly, I always ensure that these tasks are understood and accomplished. Being a good leader entails that you care about your group members and want everyone to be successful. One weakness that is holding me back from being a good leader is my tendency to be a follower in a big group, rather than a leader. Very loud, strong headed and overly confident people make me not want to take control as much for fear that they will not like my ideas.
I also have a hard time saying no if someone is willing to take control and lead the group. Another weakness of mine is communication. I am always very good at paying attention in class and, therefore, if I hear the teacher give requirements for a project, I just assume that everyone else is paying equal attention. I need to make a more conscience effort to make sure that everyone is communicating with one another and is aware of what needs to be accomplished.
This ensures the team will be building a healthy relationship and working together. Lastly, I have to remember that everyone is different and that we all don't approach tasks in the same way. I must use my sense of judgment to assess each person and determine what kind of work load I honestly think they will complete effectively based on their schedule. If the work is not completed when it is supposed to be done, I need to learn how to confront that person and ask them why it has not been done and make sure that they understand that this is going to put us behind. I always want people to like me and this is the main reason that I have a hard to giving constructive criticism and approaching people. These are a few areas that would be holding me back from being an effective leader.
This summer I was the team leader for my group internship presentation project for Enterprise. Our topic was to explain how the founding values of the company related to the four core areas of the business. All the interns were assigned teams of three at the beginning of the summer and were required to come up with a 25 minute slide presentation. I was chosen as team leader by my group.
At first, I did not think this was going to be as hard a project as everyone was predicting. Throughout the course of the project the hardest part of the assignment was trying to organize a time when everyone was free to work on the project. All three of us were working in Virginia Beach, but we all worked 7: 45 a.m. to between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. during the week and every third weekend as well. The conflict on scheduling a weekend arrived when we realized that one of us was on an opposite weekend schedule. So, we all had to be flexible with the meeting times.
As a leader I was required to send out emails and get my group member to begin thinking about ideas. I would send out bullet emails of ideas that I thought we could start with and then expand on. I started delegating tasks so that at our first meeting we would have some information to work with. Throughout the entire project, my group members were awesome and everyone was always completing their assignments. We ended up only having to meet three times throughout the summer, because I was constantly delegating tasks via email and phone and there was excellent communication through im as well. I believe that I was an excellent leader in this example because I was willing to go that extra mile and do a little more work to keep the group on task.
I also showed I cared about my team members by working around their schedules. I made sure the job got done and that everyone looked up to me and respected me because this meant they would also want to do an excellent job. If I was in the position again the one thing I would do differently is have more meetings. I think that when a group comes together you feed off of one another for ideas and this gets the brainstorming process going. Overall, I was happy with my leadership experience and thought that the team worked well together and that in the end I made them work, but they respected me, and I am happy to say we are still friends today. As I reflect back on my leadership experiences I believe that I have always tried to take initiative and get things done.
I believe that I am always understanding of what other people have going on in their lives and I talk to them like a person and am very considerate. I try my hardest to be proficient at what I do and help others if they are lost. Lastly, I make a point to provide direction to the group, plan ahead, set goals, try to identify problems and come up with solutions. I believe a leader should always encourage the team to reach team goals as effectively as possible, through building relationships and inspiring their team members.