Personal Narrative: Evaluating My Leadership Style

Taking the time to evaluate my leadership style and how various habits reinforce that style is something I have not ever properly accomplished until now. Over time, I have developed strong skills more associated with team management to offset other habits that clearly need some focus and improvement. I have prided myself on developing teams that are very cohesive and focused on the good of the organization, a direct reflection of my own style. I can also see where my personal traits and habits have helped me flourish using a Level 5 leadership style. My background as a chaplain assistant in the Navy is foundational to most of my habits surrounding the treatment of others. I have always treated all with dignity and respect, and expect the same from my team members. I recall reading some books on emotional intelligence early in my career. Knowledge gained from these books led me to focus on taking the time to listen, understand and be sensitive to the perspective of others. This approach towards people has helped me develop very strong professional relationships as well as an ability to form teams that can work well together toward a common objective. It is interesting to see how the Win-Win habit has helped me be successful as a Level 5 leader. I learned from both my father and grandfather that it is important to take

I especially experienced this while leading a team of contractors on a complex information management project, I had to manage a wide variety of personalities, motivations, and conflicting priorities. I learned quickly how to effectively manage conflict resolution. At the same time, I seem to intuitively and actively know my team members individually. I know their families, personal achievements, goals, and dreams. This knowledge helps me relate to team members and lead them