Respond to…

Using the Leadership Trait Questionnaire I would say that my perception of my strengths are that I am persistent, determined and diligent (Northouse, 2012). Part of my role today as a leader is to manage large scale enterprise wide projects while managing 40 individuals and the work we are responsible for. I am able to interact and support my team, which can be challenging at times, while working on the completion of a large project. My role today involves a unique balance between leading my team and leading a project. I am able to be successful because we take the time to teach and empower our staff to complete the work we have which frees me up to work on the projects assigned to me.

My perception of my greatest weaknesses, using the LTQ traits, are sensitive and friendly. I think that I am a sensitive and friendly person but its something that I must focus on when I am knee deep in a project, task or my work. I have  tenancies to have laser focus and can come off insensitive and unfriendly when I am occupied.  For example, when I am working on designing an IVR, Phone tree, for one of clinics, hospitals, sites or facilities, I am heavily focused on the process so that I can complete the task without error. I do this in my office and when folks from my team come to ask me questions sometimes I dont realize they are there until they are in the middle of a question or explaining their need.  I have been able to overcome these opportunities by helping my teams to understand that if I am not looking at them when they are talking to me that I am likely not hearing them; level setting expectations has been very helpful in helping to avoid the hurt feelings that my staff feels when they feel that i am not paying attention to them. In addition, I have started to close my door during times when I expect to be very focused thus reducing the opportunity for upsetting someone.

Resource:

Northouse, P. (2018). Leadership theory and practice (8th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Respond to…

According to the Leadership Trait Questionnaire, I think my greatest strength is dependability, friendly and diligence (Northouse, 2012). While I am not currently in a leadership role I have performed the role in both the retail and food industries. During those times there anywhere between five people and forty people under me. As a leader it was always important to show my teams that I would not ask them to do something I would not do myself along with the ability to understand family issues arise and may have to take priority over work sometimes. I have worked under leaders that forget sometimes family has to come first. My greatest weakness, and I have always admitted it, are those traits related to myself such as self-confidence, self-assured and outgoing. I have always had a hard time being strong with confidence and self-assurance those combined with not being to outgoing or social it has often made it difficult to perform a leadership role. I would often question myself on decisions made when employees disagreed even if I went into knowing those decisions were the correct ones.

Reference: 

Northouse, P. (2018). Leadership theory and practice (8th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.