Assignment Sample on Self-Reflection
Introduction
A personal learning journal is documenting one’s everyday experiences and observations on one’s learning and growth allowing one to keep track of their progress while also improving self-awareness, motivation, and achievement. Kolb’s Learning Cycle is a well-known and significant experiential learning paradigm that has been applied in a variety of settings to support personal and professional growth. The use of the model has been done in the present study to highlight my learning from the journals and how it can help me to improve my learning. In this study, I will reflect on my leadership and personal development experiences using Kolb’s learning cycle and provide innovative and insightful advice on how to continue improving in these areas.
Discussion
Critical reflection using Kolb’s learning cycle
Concrete Experience:
As the president of a campus student organisation during my undergraduate years, I had one of the most significant leadership and personal development experiences. In this role, I had to oversee a group of officers, organise activities and events, and represent the group to the entire campus community. One experience that comes to mind is when we were organising a sizable fundraising for a neighborhood charity. Even though we had invested a lot of time and energy into planning the event, on the day of, it felt like everything was going wrong. This shows that I lack problem-solving skills. According to Szabo et al.(2020), people and organisations need to be able to solve problems to successfully overcome challenges and accomplish goals. These talents include all aspects of analysis, identification, and problem-solving. Possessing effective problem-solving abilities helps to increase innovation, production, and efficiency. However, on the contrary Škėrienė and Jucevičienė, (2020), analysed that the person posting the skill includes the potential for bias, a dearth of innovation, and the incapacity to resolve complex or difficult issues. Hence, these things have helped me to know that problem-solving skills are important for a leader. Moreover, although I experienced a sense of anxiety and disappointment, I realised that, as the leader of the group, it was up to me to remain calm and in control so that we could save the situation. Hence, my experience as a student organisation president taught me the importance of problem-solving skills for effective leadership. I also realised that I lacked critical thinking skills and that I needed to develop them more. To better overcome challenges and accomplish my goals in the future, I want to concentrate on strengthening my problem-solving skills.
Reflective Observation:
When I reflect on this difficult circumstance, I see how much it has taught me about leadership and personal development. One of the things that strikes me is the importance of remaining calm and focused under pressure. This reference to it Dirani et al.(2020), stated that possessing the ability to remain calm and focused under stress is a key leadership trait. It enables innovators to articulate thoughtful decisions, inspire group confidence, and effectively manage testing situations. Since I was the group’s leader, my actions set an example for everyone else. If I had given in to fear or folded in, it is possible that the rest of the group would have done the same. I also learned how important flexibility and emergency planning are. However, in this context, Huggins and Prasanna (2020), opposed and stated that the negative is that developing and maintaining important flexibility and emergency preparedness can be expensive and time-consuming. A tendency to rely too much on plans may also exist, which can lead to complacency and a lack of flexibility in the face of unforeseen events. Despite our best efforts to arrange the event, unexpected events occurred, necessitating the use of quick thinking, adaptability, and alternate solutions. Hence, when I thought back on a difficult scenario, I realised how important it is for leaders to maintain composure, flexibility, and preparation. In the future, I want to strengthen these qualities.
Abstract Conceptualization:
These observations have led me to the conclusion that strong leadership requires the development of emotional intelligence, strategic thinking, and adaptability. Emotional intelligence is a skill that leaders need since it helps them understand and manage their own emotions as well as those of others. I felt that to some extent I lack in the skill. However, Almeida (2019), mentioned that developing emotional intelligence skills can be challenging since it calls for the capacity to understand, manage, and both one’s own and other people’s emotions. It calls for compassion, awareness, effective communication, and relationships with the executives. Moreover, Lancrin et al.(2019), supported and stated that it has been found it enables pioneers to foresee and predict potential challenges as well as identify opportunities for growth and improvement, critical thinking is important. Finally, but most importantly, adaptability is crucial because it enables leaders to change their plans and strategies in response to changing circumstances and unforeseen difficulties. Hence, according to the learning journal, developing emotional intelligence, strategic thinking, and adaptability are necessary for effective leadership.
Active experimentation:
Moving forward, I want to continue developing my initiative and self-improvement skills by engaging in a variety of experiential learning activities. In reference to it, Toirjonovich, (2023), mentioned that developing initiative and self-improvement abilities requires taking charge of own growth, defining goals, and coming up with a plan to achieve them. Look for learning opportunities, adopt a growth attitude, and take on new challenges to develop self-assurance and resilience. Continually seek criticism and engage in self-reflection to adjust and develop. However, in the opposition, Chevalier et al.(2020), stated that developing the skill can cause some difficulty. Drive and the capacity for personal development call for a high level of inspiration, discipline, and consistency. When developing these abilities, challenges can include procrastination, lack of focus, and self-doubt. Good habits, reasonable goals, and constantly asking for advice and help from others are necessary to overcome these hurdles. By seeking out opportunities to collaborate with various organisations, I hope to strengthen my interpersonal and communication abilities. I also plan to study more leadership and personal development books and articles to stay current on the most recent trends and best practices. Finally, I might want to keep looking for new challenges and experiences to expand my capabilities and widen my current circle of acquaintance. Hence, the value of self-awareness and ongoing development became clear to me as I thought back on my leadership style. I can improve my leadership skills by asking for input and looking for training opportunities.
Application of theories
Daniel Goleman’s model:
One of the most popular theories of emotional intelligence is Daniel Goleman’s model, which states that there are five elements to emotional intelligence (Refer to Figure 1). I have analysed from the learning journal that the application of the theory can be beneficial for me to improve my emotional intelligence skill. These include motivation, empathy, self-control, and social skills. Fostering these qualities can help people become more genuinely astute and compelling pioneers. Self-awareness is the capacity to recognise one’s own emotions and how they affect others, whereas self-regulation is the capacity to manage one’s emotions and responses. Motivation is the drive and vigor needed to accomplish goals, whereas empathy is the capacity to understand and relate to the emotions of others. Moreover, social skills are the ability to work well with people, build connections, and communicate. However, there is a drawback of the theory which should be kept in mind. In this context, Minkova (2020), stated that the concept has received widespread support, yet it has also drawn criticism for a variety of reasons. For instance, some opponents claim that the model overemphasises the importance of social and cultural context and emphasises individual qualities. Hence, these aspects should also be kept in mind by me when applying them in my future work.
Situational Leadership:
According to the Situational Leadership Model, a leader’s style of leadership should change depending on how capable and devoted their followers are in a certain situation (Sahrazad et al.2022). The Situational Leadership Model is a practical tool for enhancing problem-solving skills. This approach emphasises the significance of tailoring one’s leadership style to the situation based on the competency and commitment of the person or team being led. Determine the level of expertise and dedication of the individuals working on the problem before applying this model to address it. Based on this evaluation, I can modify their problem-solving strategy to best suit the situation, whether it be more directive or supportive. This methodology can help me better understand and serve the requirements of their teams, which will ultimately improve their capacity for problem-solving and raise their chances of success.
Conclusion
Hence, it can be stated from the above discussion that I believe that my experience as a student organisation president taught me a lot about leadership and personal development. I got the opportunity to reflect on my experience, identify significant concepts and ideas, and create a plan for continued growth and progress by using Kolb’s Learning Cycle. I am eager to expand on the abilities and knowledge I have already gained and look into new chances and difficulties. In this situation, I had the opportunity to fix the issues and develop my leadership skills as a transformational leader. I could have helped and encouraged my coworkers to keep going despite the setbacks to start with. I could have emphasised our shared goal of assisting the local charity to remind them of the importance of our work and the possible influence it could have on the neighborhood.
Reference
Aslam, S. et al. (2022) ‘New Normal: Emergence of Situational Leadership during COVID-19 and Its Impact on Work Motivation and Job Satisfaction’, Frontiers in Psychology, 13(13).
Chevalier, M. et al. (2020) ‘Fostering computational thinking through educational robotics: a model for creative computational problem solving’, International Journal of STEM Education, 7(1).
Dirani, K. M. et al. (2020) ‘Leadership competencies and the essential role of human resource development in times of crisis: A response to COVID-19 pandemic’, Human Resource Development International, 23(4), pp. 380–394.
Huggins, T. J. and Prasanna, R. (2020) ‘Information Technologies Supporting Emergency Management Controllers in New Zealand’, Sustainability, 12(9), p. 3716.
Lancrin, S. V. et al. (2019) Fostering Students’ Creativity and Critical Thinking: What It Means in School. Educational Research and Innovation, ERIC. OECD Publishing.
Minkova, M. (2020) ‘The Emotional Intelligence and the Emotional and Social Intelligence Lidership Competency Model by Daniel Goleman’, journals.uni-vt.bg.
Sahrazad, S. et al. (2022) ‘Strengthening Pedagogical Competence, Situational Leadership, And Work Motivation To Increase The Commitment Of The Teacher Profession’, Journal of Positive School Psychology, pp. 3807–3821.
Škėrienė, S. and Jucevičienė, P. (2020) ‘Problem solving through values: A challenge for thinking and capability development’, Thinking Skills and Creativity, 37, p. 100694.
Supramaniam, S. and Singaravelloo, K. (2021) ‘Impact of Emotional Intelligence on Organisational Performance: An Analysis in the Malaysian Public Administration’, Administrative Sciences, 11(3), p. 76.
Szabo, Z. K. et al. (2020) ‘Examples of Problem-Solving Strategies in Mathematics Education Supporting the Sustainability of 21st-Century Skills’, Sustainability, 12(23), p. 10113.
Toirjonovich, A. Z. (2023) ‘Creative Self-Development of the Personality of the Future Teacher’, CENTRAL ASIAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HISTORY, 4(2), pp. 49–56.
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