Question

the skills and traits that you possess that you think would make you an effective leader in a public or nonprofit organization in your community, and explain why. Then reflect on the skills and traits you may still need to acquire to be an effective leader in public administration. Explain gaps you might need to fill in order to be an effective leader.

Answer 1

As I consider myself in a leadership position, I believe the characteristics and traits that I currently have can add value to the process of leadership in the following way:

CONFLICT MANAGEMENT
As a leader, I think that I possess the necessary understanding of conflict management and creating a sense of mutual recognition which enables the ability to solve the problems of project teams, the tension between two departments etc. which I believe translates well to a leadership position, especially in an NPO, given the resource constraints and the need for a more synchronized process.

PERSISTENCE
I never underestimate a given challenge, but I never back down from attempting to resolve it either. I believe failure teaches us all a valuable lesson and every time we try something challenging or borderline impossible given the current state of the process, it allows us the ability to come up with a unique solution to dealing with the problem and, it also creates the need to recognize the situational aspect of leadership as well.

MOTIVATION & PASSION
I am self-motivated and passionate about the work I do, and this, in turn, allows the ability to create the same in the individuals I govern. I can motivate individuals because I listen to their needs, and make decisions based on the empathetic attire of understanding between everybody, creating the necessary values for the system to work efficiently. Passion for your position and role as well as inclination with that of the organization's mission is necessary for an NPO's business.

However, there are skills that I lack that I still need to achieve to add more value to the way I conduct my leadership endeavors, which are:

FINANCIAL ACUMEN
The understanding of people is what leadership is focused on, but the fact that NGOs have constraints in terms of the resources they can expend can be considered as the need for a leader to possess the necessary under the tension of the financial aspect of what their decisions and actions add to the organization in terms of value.

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
While I always think empathetically, I also need to develop emotional understanding and intelligence to be able to make better decisions.

NON VERBAL COMMUNICATION
While I am adept at verbal communication, the aspect of nonverbal communication is the area I still need to work upon to better understand my subordinates or the situations that arise between our interaction.