What a great way to help identify areas of growth and make a plan to ensure you get there. 

I use the Appreciative Advising model with students, I didn't think to use it in my leadership role as well. Great perspective. 

This is so good. I learned that I need to control the chatter in my head and lock into conversations. 

Understanding an adapting your leadership to various learning styles is important. 

Emotional intelligence is a vital component of effective leadership.

I learned that a while a specific skill set is required to be an effective manager, possessing those skills does necessarily mean an individual can influence change in others or compel them to follow directives. 

I learned that I usually lead with a coaching style of leadership. This is very accurate as I tend to gravitate toward encouraging and developing those around me because I have a genuine interest to see them do well and succeed. I enjoy building close, long-lasting connections that foster trust and confidence. A few things I have to watch out for though is to make sure I resist pushing people toward learning for learning’s sake. Just because it's important to me doesn't mean others will be motivated in the same way. I also sometimes focus more on processes and systems… >>>

Hello,

I learned that leadership isn't a title, but a daily practice based on clarity, consistency, and service: defining priorities, communicating the "why," building trust, and empowering the team to make sound decisions. 

I also understood that conflict can be productive if handled with respect, data, and clear rules, and that performance improves when we remove roadblocks and protect time for what truly matters.

I plan to apply this by setting explicit goals and roles, providing frequent feedback, recognizing contributions with intention, and creating routines for follow-up and continuous learning to improve week after week.

Leadership is like a farmer who buys a huge plot of land and envisions crops growing and cattle grazing. Management is her building the fences in the right places so the crops don't grow wild and the cows don’t wander off. :D

Leadership is ultimately about influencing a group to accomplish a goal. While this course focuses on leading within organizations, I believe the size of the group and the setting are less important than the ability to influence people toward a vision. Success also requires having trusted individuals you can rely on to help with implementation. I also believe it's possible to be a great leader in one realm, but a more effective manager in another (e.g. leading an organization, managing family finances, volunteering, etc.)