Discussion: Managing, Leading, and Making Decisions
Note: Please pay special attention to the instructions for the Response post for this Discussion. In addition to responding to two colleagues, you also are asked to make comments in response to a specific prompt.
In Chapter 4 of the course text, the authors emphasize the value of personal and professional self-awareness for managers and leaders. By examining your natural dispositions and existing skills, you can identify the styles of management and leadership that best suit you, as well as areas in which you excel and areas in which you might need to improve within the realm of management and leadership. In this Discussion, you will reflect on your personal style of management and leadership, your strengths and weaknesses as a manager and leader, as well as how your management and leadership styles might influence your decision making as a child development program administrator.
To prepare for this Discussion, reflect on the following:
How would you classify your personal management style? Would you consider yourself a classical ("best way") manager, a behavioral ("people-oriented") manager, or systems ("big-picture") manager? Why?
How would you classify your personal leadership style? Would you consider yourself an autocratic, free-rein, participative, consultative, or democratic leader? Why?
As a manger and leader, what are your strengths, and what are your weaknesses, specifically in relation to power, conflict, stress, psychological types, and/or emotional intelligence? How might you capitalize on the former and improve the latter in managing and leading an early childhood program?
With these thoughts in mind, follow the instructions below to post your response to this Discussion topic.
Post an analysis of your personal management and leadership styles, identifying which styles you embody and explaining why. Then, explain at least two strengths and two weaknesses you believe you possess as a manager and/or leader. Describe at least one way you might capitalize on each strength in your work as an early childhood program administrator, as well as one way you might improve on each weakness.