Leadership is the achievement of a goal through the guidance of human helpers. Leadership is a significant management role, which helps direct an establishment’s resources for enhanced effectiveness and attainment of goals. Influential leaders offer clarity of purpose, inspire, and direct organizations to attain their mission. For the success of projects or companies, leaders have various roles to play. First, they have to be coaches to offer other members of the establishment a different viewpoint. Secondly, they play as connectors to link individuals and ideas both internally and externally. Further, leaders work as managers to control the supply and demand balance of work in companies (Collick, 2019). In addition, leaders play the role of developers and mentors to guarantee employee development. Also, they are motivators to instill a constructive can-do spirit into the establishment. Finally, leaders play the role of communicators to keep organizations well informed transparently. Typically, this paper outlines the most crucial leadership concepts I have learned in this course, together with a detailed personal leadership improvement plan.

Important Leadership Concepts Learned in this Course

One of the essential leadership concepts I have learned in this course is the five practices of exemplary leadership. Kouzes and Posner (2017) learned that when leaders realize their best, they exhibit five fundamental practices by modeling the way, inspiring a shared vision, challenging the process, enabling others to act, and encouraging the heart. I am set to become an exceptional leader from this course because I have modeled the way, challenged the process, and enabled others to act to attain course outcomes. Díaz et al. (2019) show that students who portray practices of exemplary leadership are on their way to being transformational leaders who can uplift others and themselves to realize greater performance levels. By modeling the way, I formed standards of merit and set an example for other students to follow by ensuring I completed my assignments on time. Also, I challenged the process by seeking the chance to change the status quo. I sought inventive ways to better the class by avoiding submitting assignments past the due date like most students. Finally, I helped others act through teamwork so that wherever anyone encountered a problem in their classwork, I would chip in to assist.

Through this course, I have learned of the traits that people admire in their leaders. Most individuals admire leaders who are honest, competent, inspiring, as well as forward-looking. These traits help leaders portray the practices of exemplary leadership. Being honest helps leaders to model the way and offer the right direction for subordinates to follow. On the other hand, to inspire a common vision, a leader should be forward-looking and motivating so that any project adheres to completion. By challenging the process, leaders increase the perception that they are vibrant and ready for change (Kouzes & Posner, 2017). Typically, a trustworthy leader is honest. With this, they can act and also help other members of the organization to act. Similarly, leaders who identify and celebrate substantial contributions and endeavors, those who encourage the heart, enhance their members’ comprehension of and devotion to the vision and beliefs of an establishment. I like the competence of my course facilitator, who presents as a competent leader because of the effectiveness of the decisions made. Hence, I would like to follow suit and enhance my competence to make myself more credible and inspire the followers I will have to lead.

Lastly, I have learned that to be successful; leaders require the concept of love. Leaders should stay in love with leading, with those handling the task, with what the establishments offer, and with customers. Consequently, leadership is not a matter of the head but that of the heart. Remaining in love offers leaders the passion for kindling others, assessing them, and having a more significant desire to do things (Kouzes & Posner, 2017). An individual not in love does not feel the excitement to go ahead and lead others to achieve. I saw the passion in my course facilitator, who was in love with the class. The tutor gave us the best course content and motivation to push through to attain the best grades. Typically, leaders do not cause pain but bear the same through servant leadership. This is the concept of altruism, which entails sacrificing, defending others, placing others before one’s needs, and enduring pains for others (Khandelwal, 2018). Through love, leaders empower subordinates also to make them competent leaders. Thus, leaders do not mind losing their supremacy of being leaders and assisting others to become leaders in the process.

Personal Leadership Improvement Plan

A leadership improvement plan is a tactical plan meant to enable workers to attain and grow their leadership skills and prepare them for management and leadership tasks in an establishment. Leadership improvement helps establishments in various ways, such as driving better business outcomes. Also, skillful leaders are more responsive to business needs. In addition, effective leadership encourages invention. Further, skilled leaders appeal to and retain workers and also enhance their engagement. Finally, effective leadership enhances communication within and outside the establishment.

Conclusion

Leadership is the achievement of a goal through the guidance of human assistants. Effective leadership offers the clarity of purpose, inspires, and directs organizations to attain their mission. The vital leadership concepts I have learned in this course are the five practices of exemplary leadership. Also, through this course, I have learned of the traits that people admire in their leaders, comprising honesty, competence, inspiring, and forward-looking. Finally, I have also learned that leaders should stay in love with leading, with those handling the tasks, what the establishments offer, and consumers. There is a need for leadership improvement for employees to ensure effectiveness. In my case, I have to improve my time management skills, develop my planning skills, and enhance my work-life balance. Consequently, I will be a better leader and be successful in my career and personal life.