What type of leader am I? How do I demonstrate leadership in my job setting?
In looking at the different types of leadership presented in the text for this class, I feel that I have demonstrated a little of each within my job setting and throughout my life in general. When I think about transformational leadership, I think about my three adult children. Having three children, I had the opportunity to observe their different personalities and learning styles. I also had the chance to use my leadership skills to raise independent, productive members of society. I would say that two of the three were leaders and that my youngest was a follower by nature. It was my job to instill within …show more content…
Most times our purpose is to empower and to encourage others to rise above what they think they are capable of. Karen Haynes description is well put in her article “Social Workers as Leaders”. She states that “as social workers, we pride ourselves on our ability to effectively help those we serve”. She goes on to say that “this is our competence, one of the six core values we commit to when we undertake our role, along with committing to values of service, social justice, a person’s dignity and worth, the importance of human relationships, and integrity.” She states that “these values, by definition, not only require leadership on our part but also define leadership. They are what make social workers excellent natural leaders.” …show more content…
Because I am a child protective services investigator, I am on the frontlines when it comes to abuse and neglect. Even though I have people I have to answer to when it comes to making the decision to remove a child from their parent’s custody or not, they are often looking to me for the final decision. My supervisor and the DCS attorney know that I have been in the field working with the family and therefore, they are counting on me to give them my opinion of whether or not we should leave the children in the home or remove them. I am essentially their eyes, their ears and their source for determining the outcome of the situation at hand. This can become quite overwhelming at times. I have to live with the decisions I make knowing that my decision can change the child’s life at least for a short time and possibly for the rest of their life.
What do you think will be the biggest obstacles for you as a leader? The biggest obstacle for me as a leader is simply being the leader. I believe that some people are born leaders but I was not born a leader. My nature is to be a follower. Growing up, I was extremely shy, almost to the point of being handicapped by timidity. I was scared of new places, new people and new things. Looking back, it is evident to me now that I chose and or
Leadership