Seeking the appropriate career helps the individuals to attain success in life. This appropriateness accomplishes the scope and arena of the thought processes, providing satisfaction to the individuals. The individuals possess the right to seek work, according to their capabilities. However, considering the risks within the process is always a wise approach enhancing the leadership skills of the individuals (Covin & Slevin, 2017). This assignment, through the review of the book, The Strategic Career: Let Business Principles Guide You by Bill, attempts to enhance the clarity of the readers regarding strategic leadership.
The purpose of the book is to address the clarity of the readers regarding the strategizing the path towards leadership. Distinctive approach towards business helps in the execution of journey mapping for the chosen career. This mapping is effective in terms of assessing the prospective sources, which would help the individuals in attaining success (Bill, 2015). The example of business consultant in McKinsey proves beneficial for enlivening the skills, expertise and knowledge of the businesspersons in terms of achieving efficiency within the business activities.
According to the requirements of the assignment, the question at issue is whether the approach taken for enhancing the leadership is appropriate in terms of the identified and the specified objectives (Bill, 2015).
If page 3 of the book is considered, then the readers would find the first time when strategy was prepared for the first time. Confidence is at a raw form in this stage. However, overconfidence proves fatal in terms of achieving positive outcomes. Therefore, consideration of Gibbs Reflective Cycle is essential in terms of assessing the effectiveness, appropriateness and feasibility of the adopted strategies (Bergh et al., 2016). According to this cycle, description relates to the act of highlighting the process of developing strategies, so that systematic approach is followed for conducting the business activities. Application of the preconceived skills, expertise and knowledge helps in measuring the capability towards organizing the approach.
The aspects of enterprise envisioning, value proposition, market research, game theory and scenario planning are the steps, which leads to the formation of leadership skills. Enterprise envisioning can be inferred as the act of laying strong foundation for the determining the way in which the career would transcend. According to the propositions of Bill, (2015), value proposition relates to the consciousness of generating values for the actions performed, so that they stand out from others. In this process, rationality is crucial for emerging as a leader amidst the crowd. This rationality can be the result of evaluation, as mentioned in the Gibbs Reflective Cycle. Market research is conducting comparative study between the self-efforts and the efforts put in by others towards achieving perfection in the activities performed. In this, maturity is attaining organizational skills upon the achievement of negative results.
Market research also relates to the thoughts of upgrading the performance with the help of practice. Setting time limits for the actions reflect maturity. Behavioral theory is related in this aspect, as dejection upon others’ success contradicts the maturity (Goetsch & Davis, 2014). On the other hand, determination to uplift the standards of the performance is effective. Tactfulness in the approach can be considered as a wise approach towards the use of game theory. On the other hand, disclosure of the undertaken steps compels the individuals to encounter influences and pressures, which acts as a deviation from the identified and the specified targets. However, scenario planning relates to effective handling of the situation. The major drive behind this is the consideration of checklists and templates, which helps in gaining an insight into the capability towards making practical application (Agrawal, 2015).
Attempts towards developing strategies acts as an empowerment of the individuals. This attempt lays strong foundation for the chosen career. Within this, group discussions, surveys and feedbacks add value to the attempts. This is because all these means assures the individuals that the steps, which they have taken are appropriate in terms of the identified goals. After collecting the data, Gibbs Reflective Cycle comes into rescue, enhancing the awareness of the individuals towards the actions, which they need to take, based on the anticipated findings (Strand, 2014). Market research is assistance in terms of gaining assurance about the feasibility of the findings. This is because the research enriches the knowledge about the literature related to strategic leadership. Along with this, the research also provides an insight into the steps undertaken by others for enhancing the leadership skills, abilities and competencies.
The ways and means adopted for conducting the research reflects the approach towards using the game theory. Using the theory through illegal means develops irrelevant results for reaching to the path of leadership. Bill, (2015) is of the opinion that this types of illegal approach projects the lack of strategic planning in the activities, which is bound to encounter negative results.
Among the concepts, Gibbs reflective cycle is the most crucial for preventing the review of the book. This is in terms of reflecting on the exposed behaviour. The integrated framework of the cycle helps the aspiring leaders to organize their approach towards the activities. Description of the need for enhancing the leadership skills is the ability towards progressing on the right track. Having a control on the feelings and emotions is an act of maturity, which is directly drives the individuals towards leadership skills, abilities and competencies. Evaluation is an act of synthesizing the feelings and concluding recommendations in the form of action plans.
Accuracy and appropriateness is needed in terms of emerging as a leader. This is in terms of averting the instances of fallacy and hypothetical approaches towards the exposed performance. Consideration of personality tests is fruitful in terms of gaining an insight into the personal strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats. The opportunities relates to the “precision”, enhancing the standards and quality of performance. Undertaking the tests is a means for developing relevancy in the process of upgrading the performance. Logical reasoning in this process is assistance in terms of gaining trust, loyalty and dependence. Significant sources is beneficial in terms of adding value towards the act of developing relevance. Fair approach in this direction makes the leader approachable.
Placing the content in the initial stage of strategic planning proves appropriate in terms of gaining clarity towards the subject matter of research. This act relates with the component, description, as mentioned by Gibbs in his reflective cycle. On the contrary, understanding the situation, through scenario planning is fruitful in terms of gaining an insight into the real market scenario. Here, Burgelman et al. (2017) proposes the appropriateness of market research. This research, in turn, is assistance in terms of conducting enterprise planning, which lays strong foundation towards the attempts towards initiating the actions. Evaluation of the anticipated findings proves fruitful in assessing whether the planned strategies align with the identified goals and objectives. Maintaining consistency in the execution of evaluation enables the individuals in upgrading the standards and quality of the performance. Apart from this, Blanchette and Ellington, (2018) opines that upgradation is also achieved in the ways and means of developing strategies.
Consulting the senior professionals and the experts is a wise approach towards enriching the preconceived skills, knowledge and expertise. This approach results in knowledge transfer, reducing the knowledge gaps. Along with this, career counselling is also beneficial in terms of addressing the queries of the businesspersons in terms of developing strategies towards laying strategies for conducting enterprise planning. On the other hand, Carnall and Roebuck, (2015) maintaining consistency in counselling the employees proves beneficial in terms of assessing the effectiveness, appropriateness and feasibility of their efforts.
Organizing the consultation of senior experts reflects systematic approach towards the executing the business activities. On the other hand, randomly selecting the experts and asking them about the appropriateness of the developed strategies might be strange and lead to hypothetical results. This is because of the influences, which would act as a deviation from the identified goals and objectives. Delving deep into the aspect, collaboration of experience and learning is effective in terms of upgrading the preconceived knowledge (Bilgino?lu & Yozgat, 2018).
Thoughts regarding combining business strategy and career strategy can be the initiatives towards utilizing the strategies developed in forming the business into enhancement of the career and an empowerment of the professionalism. This combination leads to upgradation of the personality. As a matter of specification, it enhances the leadership skills, indicating the aspect of leading other towards making effective strategies.
Through the means of flashback, the author Bill solves the queries related to the development of values for strategies developed. Bill is of the view that conducting market segment adds value to the products and service. The actions taken for selling the products reflects the approach towards dealing with the needs, demands and requirements of the customers (Bill, 2015). According to the viewpoints of Bill, Personal Value Proposition gains an important position in the book. In this process, stress is laid on the performance improvement, which can be attained through the means of continuous improvement. Within this, Kotter’s eight step change model can be related, as it prepared the circumstances leading to the change.
Narrow mindedness in the approach towards improving the performance yields negative results. Therefore, visual observation skills and critical thinking skills need to be improved for widening the scope and arena of the thought process. Through the investigation, the author emerges successful in excavating the different roles, which the individuals play (Bill, 2015). Here, the aspect of different fields is brought in for assessing the activity, which the individuals are to perform in the given surroundings. Rationality within handling of the situation is efficient in terms of emerging as a leader. This rationality helps the individual to attain trust, loyalty and dependence from others. In this aspect, he plays the role of influencer, moulding the people in his thoughts, beliefs and attitudes.
Bill feels that creating long term strategies help the individuals to widen their thought process towards setting up the business. Here, I can relate the aspect of journey mapping, which would help in enhancing the visual skills towards the chosen path for attaining leadership skills, abilities and competencies. According to Norzailan, Yusof and Othman, (2016), integrated approach, towards the creation of strategies, is effective for achieving positive results. Although the book reaches page 151 at this point, however, the author proposes strategic approach towards laying strong foundation for the career. In page 169, it can be seen that the author suggests the readers to conduct current Personal Value Proposition. This is in terms of gaining an insight into the self strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats at the current stage. I affirm with Bill in terms of excavating the condition of the self before attempting the task of value creation.
In this process, Bill proposes the aspect of opportunity identification in terms of enhancing the awareness about the prospective sources, which can lead up to the path of leadership (Bill, 2015). Identification of the best case relates with the identification of the appropriate opportunity, which would help me to emerge as a leader. Here, I agree with Bill in terms of creating action plans for seeking into insight into the avenues, which are opened before for attaining personal and professional development.
Consciousness towards alternatives is a belief of the individuals in terms of gaining assurance that if one way does not work out, they have other choices. However, in terms of emerging as a leader, the individuals need to maintain consistency in selecting the appropriate option, which would help them to attain success. This is in terms of gaining an understanding that the alternative, once fitted to a problem, would not fit at all times (Kaufman, 2017). This relates with the aspect of uncertainty, which adds hypothetical parameter to the performance of the individuals. Here, prior knowledge about decision-making is needed for getting positive results. Self efforts might prove detrimental in terms of reaching to the benchmark level of performance.
In the last pages of 257-265, Bill takes up the aspect of staying in power and authority in terms of leadership. Personal annual report helps in excavating the areas, which I need to improve for altering the approach towards executing the tasks. Discussing the reports with peers, seniors and experienced personnel is beneficial in terms of assessing my position. This is crucial for getting the needed guidance and support towards laying a strong foundation for the career. Stowell and Mead, (2016) thinks that one of the important aspects in this direction, is, the resilience to change. This feeling is personal in terms of the incapability to adopt something, to which I am unfamiliar with. This is a natural behavioural tendency to resist something, which is new to the norms and regulations. Altering the thought process and adopting the change is a reflection of widened approach in terms of creating a positive image before others.
The name of the book, The Strategic Career itself reflects the purpose. The subtitle, Let the Business Principles Guide You clearly represents the means through which the purpose would be fulfilled (Bill, 2015). The starting line of the introduction, “Find the work you are meant for”, clarifies the doubts of the readers about the ways through which the survival struggles can be dealt with. “Setting the course” relates with the laying a good start for the taking the career in the right shape. “Growing the muscles to uncover the opportunities” clearly projects the initiatives, which the individuals need to take for securing their position within the competitive ambience of the market (Bill, 2015).
Bill is of the view that “making sound decisions” is vital before accepting the opportunities offered. Blind acceptance of the offer lacks rational and judgmental decision-making. On the other hand, checking the progress through tracking and monitoring relates with undertaking good practices for enhancing the preconceived skills, expertise and knowledge. “I was using the strategic approach without the career-centred body of knowledge behind it” reflects the authors’ use of knowledge other than the bookish one (Bill, 2015). This helps in preparing the individuals to be practical in the fields and the given environment.
“The field of business is well research and proven” delves deeper into the fact that market research reflects the real market scenario, where the marketers strategize their marketing approach. “I was confident that this was a big idea, but I need to prove it” relates with the act of conducting evaluation, which is essential in terms of assessing the effectiveness, appropriateness and feasibility of the developed strategies. “Proving” enhances the awareness of the people about the approach towards dealing with the allocated tasks (Bill, 2015).
Listing the strategies aligned with the business requirements. Presenting the strategies to the stakeholders improves the communication skills, indicative of enhancement for the professional relationships. Optimizing the available authority is an initiative towards developing others. Motivating others adds value to the leadership skills, abilities and competencies. Not undertaking evaluation is the dark side of leadership, which compels the individuals to encounter unwanted instances (Morgan, 2018). Consciousness towards exerting the authority contradicts the aspect of people’s leader. This is in terms of the ego, which pushes the kind, caring and understanding approaches to the backseat. These aspects adds negative parameter to the component, leadership. In view of this negativity, leadership cannot be considered as an art of enhancing the dynamic skills, abilities, competencies.
As per the opinions of Bilgino?lu and Yozgat, (2018), motivating the team members relates with the true essence of leadership. This is because motivation reflects the assurance that proper guidance would be provided for attaining perfection level for executing the business activities in an efficient and effective manner. For this, continuity needs to be maintained in evaluation and planning of the developed strategies. Consulting the supervisors clarifies the doubts, which reduces the occurrence of mistakes within the performance (Blanchette & Ellington, 2018).
Conclusion
It is the self thought of the individuals to become a leader. For this, narrowing the search and focusing on the prospective sources is a wise step in terms of enhancing the leadership skills, abilities and competencies. Sharing the gained knowledge with others relates with the concept of developing others. This approach makes the leaders a people’s leader, who is easily approachable. Planning and evaluation is effective in terms of organizing the performance in the right direction.
For enhancing the leadership skills, I would set routines. The main aspect in this would be the time limits, which would help me to assess my capability to complete the work within the stipulated time. Discussing the strategies and plans with the supervisors and trainers is beneficial for clarifying the doubts and enhancing the stability in professional relationship. Sharing the ideas with friends, relatives and peers would be beneficial for me in terms of assessing the effectiveness of the undertaken ideas. Visiting libraries would help me to enrich my preconceived knowledge regarding the essential subjects. I also feel that indulging in group discussions would enhance my communication skills. Indulging in quizzes would help me to measure my memory towards remember the things.
References
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