Leadership Self Reflection Portfolio

Leadership self-assessment quiz shows how I have used leadership skills in the past. I can apply what I learned from my past experiences as a leader to my current situation. I held a formal position of leadership as early as high school, when I was vice president of the student council. During this position, I made critical decisions related to important social events and worked with members of the team on a regular basis. My communication skills were good, because I had a good sense of humor. These same traits have been evident in other leadership positions I have held in my professional life. For example, the first job I had was at a fast food restaurant. However, I noticed that we were wasting napkins and I mentioned this to the manager. I suggested that we cease automatically giving people large handfuls of napkins, especially through the take-out window. The manager thanked me for my suggestion, and within two months we had cut several hundreds of dollars from our budget.

When I found out my sister was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, it was devastating for my family. I joined a local MS support group, and after a few months I served in a position of leadership by organizing future meetings, coming up with fund raising activities that are still being used until this day, and also creating a new support group outreach center that works with local hospitals and health care research centers for referrals. These leadership positions highlighted some of my key character traits, including being flexible and creative.

My leadership style is democratic in nature because I am easy going and appreciate collaboration and cooperation. At the same time, I can be very decisive, and I know when to be firm with my choices. I like to listen to different opinions, and hear other points-of-view. These are the traits that make me an effective leader in all the organizations I have worked with in the past. The skill-building exercise in the textbook has shown how I can continue to apply and develop my leadership skills in a systematic way.

The skill-building exercise 2-4 is related to my leadership portfolio. I was asked to choose five traits, motives, and characteristics that I have exhibited in the past and discuss examples of how these traits manifested in my life. The five traits, motives, and characteristics that I have chosen are as follows.

1. Open mindedness: I cherish having an open mind, something that I believe all good leaders have. An open mind makes us able to think critically because we are willing to see a situation from multiple points-of-view. We are less likely to become biased, and more willing to be honest with ourselves and others when we have an open mind. Open-mindedness is especially important in a diverse organization because we are sensitive to the needs of others.

2. Creative thinker: Sometimes the best answer or solution is not the most obvious one. The creative thinker explores a problem from multiple angles, and then discovers new and sometimes radical ways of looking at the situation. Creative thinking means welcoming new ideas, and being willing to use the imagination when coming up with solutions.

3. Loyalty: Most of the people who I have worked with in the past define me as a loyal person. I can be loyal to the company I work for in the sense that I can envision myself working with the same team over the course of many years, developing trust and enjoying the benefits of having a long-term vision. I am also loyal to people, and will not violate trust.