Throughout this leadership course a heavy point of learning that has been very influential is that leaders are developed through experience, training, and understanding of self and others. In order to build great leaders, inspiration and motivation are absolutely necessary; leaders develop and spark individuals to accomplish their goals. Northouse (2013) has made a huge impact on the idea of leadership and his belief is that leaders are born from influencing and serving as role models for other people in order to fuel their ambitions. Upon entering the MAiL program, I viewed leadership as being endowed with the ability to stimulate and propel individuals to be the best version of themselves. This course has generated some great insights since the moment I stepped into this arena, one of them being that leadership is known for guiding individuals to follow their visions. Leaders help to create the framework for those visions to become reality through a shared effort on the part of the leader as well as the subordinate or follower. The concepts and content that have been garnered throughout this program include the idea that others are swayed by experiences and social influence as opposed to power. This has impacted my notion of leadership due to the fact that leadership is about forming non power-based relationships with others and thereby increasing the confidence and competence of others. Going back to Northouse, leadership is grounded in the idea that the knowledge and skills of leaders are influenced by their values and beliefs. The character of a leader plays a huge role in impacting the way they think and the manner in which they develop others. With respect to the MAiL program meta-competencies, an important aspect of leadership that has compelled me to continue my journey is that there are different skills and capabilities that are known to help leaders be influential. In regards to spirituality and faith, this program has demonstrated that spirituality in leadership is about applying sacred and divine principles and values in the workplace and sharing them with others. In LDRS 502, Cornerstones of Christian Leadership, a big takeaway was that in order to be a spiritual leader, one must apprehend and revitalize the significance of employees expressing their desire to find meaning in their work. Spiritual leaders assist others in understanding the importance of integrating ethics and morals into their organizations. Leaders and subordinates work as a team to accomplish organizational goals in an ethical and honorable manner. During my journey through the MAiL program, the idea that spirituality in leadership is devoting themselves more to people and less to power has been beneficial in that leaders advance further when they focus on transformation rather than conformity in their organizations. In the Organizational Behavior course there were many revelations, such as the idea that spiritual leaders take it upon themselves to develop their subordinates as individuals who exhibit compassion and genuine concern for others. With respect to the faith aspect of this meta-competency, going back to the LDRS 502, a fundamental insight has been that for leaders in faith-based organizations the goal is to assist people in finding and glorifying God through their work as well as in relationships with others. Just by reading various scriptures and writing Biblically integrated papers, faith in leadership is intended to change and develop people according to God’s word. In regards to emotional and social intelligence, these meta-competencies are linked to concepts such as self-awareness, social awareness, and self-management. These ideas were discussed in multiple courses throughout the MAiL program. Leaders who master emotional and social intelligence empower others to understand and cope with their own emotions as well as those of others in social interactions. One big takeaway from the Leader as an Agent of Change (534) and Leadership for a Learning Environment (571) courses is that the thoughts and feelings of the leader plays a role in influencing how subordinates think and act. When leaders encourage their followers to express their thoughts and feelings a bond is created and a sense of higher purpose is established. One of the concepts that were taught in both LDRS 534 and LDRS 561 (Group and Conflict Issues in Leadership) is that it is necessary for individuals to tune their emotional skills in order to utilize them in a proper manner. Therefore, by leveraging their emotions they communicate and manifest them in a responsible fashion. In terms of academic inquiry, as I have journeyed through this program the strongest points of learning have been realizing and understanding that the concept of academic inquiry has to do with being curious, solution-oriented, and not being afraid to ask questions. The knowledge I have gained from course gleaning and various activities is that the core leadership skills of this meta-competency include enriching and improving leadership thinking and behavior, thereby enhancing themselves as authentic, strategic leaders. Leaders who are proficient in academic inquiry demonstrate competent and skillful communication and collaboration adeptness. As I think about academic inquiry I take into consideration the ASI achieving styles and realize that the collaboration and contributory styles can be helpful in advancing and progressing as a competent academic inquired leader. Looking back on the noteworthy and major insights that I have gleaned from this eminent Master’s in Leadership program, there is so much that has helped and influenced the way I view leadership as well as the salient issues involved. As I have explored the ideas and concepts of leadership and studied the various notable matters that are linked to leadership studies, the takeaways that have informed my knowledge are abundant. For example, effective leaders excel at joining forces with others to bring about positivity and optimism. People follow in the footsteps of leaders who are remarkable in making them feel special and encouraging them to express their beliefs and share their values. Advantageous leaders in any situation, no matter how adverse, generate excitement and confidence within their followers, thereby advancing their impact on their subordinates. One of the most prominent notions that I have taken away from the various classes is that confident leaders who utilize their power in sensible, prudent ways are more aware of how their actions affect what is going on around them. In LDRS 503, Organizational Behavior, I learned that the focus of leadership is bringing people together to spark innovation and creativity amongst individuals. Organizations that generate dignity and respect are more likely to forge relationships and accomplish tasks. With respect to various articles and academic journals that I have invested time in reading over the last two years, leaders’ have an exceptional ability in exhibiting interpersonal skills. One of the theories I learned about in Foundations of Leadership Theory and Organizational Behavior as well as other courses is transformational leadership, in which leaders motivate their subordinates to move and change in a way that fulfills their goals and realize their purpose. By encouraging transformation, self-esteem and self-reflection increase. In Northouse (2013) a big revelation was that transformational leaders shape the culture of their organizational to reflect the beliefs and values of themselves and the people within the organization. Ultimately, one of the most salient leadership perspectives that I have assimilated is that leadership is about helping and encouraging people to learn by enabling them to make mistakes and, by modeling, effective leaders show them what accountability looks like and how to learn from those mistakes. This has been very helpful to me in solving everyday problems and has shown me that experiences shape the way leaders live and act. Moving forward in my leadership expedition, there are a multitude of elements and components of my learning that I know will influence how I guide and develop others. As I continue to grow and advance as a potential leader, there are a handful of cultured concepts and ideas that can be utilized to succeed as an impactful leader. In reviewing the salient theories and discussions that have been stimulated in previous courses, it is important to understand that effective leaders do not focus on power or competition but rather they revel in forming relationships. In order to beneficially assist in developing others my desire is to focus on nurturing those around me by building trust, excitement, and creating meaningful morals and ethics within the organization. Combining my faith with my view of leadership will guide me toward the path of prosperous leadership. Being apart of a Christian university has taught me that integrating faith and leadership involves utilizing my struggles to uplift others and encourage them to grow from their shortcomings. My intent in growing as a leader is to use the talents God has given me, such as my compassion, empathy, and morals to serve others. In order to think and function as a compelling faith-based leader the idea of servant leadership comes to mind. Servant leadership is the ability to put others before oneself and utilize God’s word to enrich the lives of subordinates and followers, thereby building a more trusting, caring organization. All in all, my approach to developing others as a leader is by encouraging and motivating trusting relationships and boosting engagement by stimulating empathy and awareness as well as stewardship in my leadership role.
References Northouse, P. G. (2013). Leadership: Theory and practice. Thousand Oaks: