Unit 4 Discussion Assignment
BUS 5211: Managing in the Global Economy, University of the People
In the discussion forum, you are expected to participate often and engage in deep levels of discourse. Please post your initial response as early as possible and continue to participate throughout the unit. You are required to post an initial response to the question/issue presented in the Forum and then respond to at least 3 of your classmates’ initial posts. You should also respond to anyone who has responded to you.
- Discuss how emotional intelligence; mindfulness and mindlessness techniques impact self-efficacy.
- What role do emotions play in leadership and how does learning to develop an optimistic perspective of emotions benefit a leader? How does mindfulness help a leader focus on the performance and goals within the team? How can mindlessness lead to learned helplessness and how can these actions impact a leader’s performance?
Grade: 9/10 (352 words)
Self-management of emotions plays an essential role in leadership. For example, emotional self-control is staying calm and clear-headed during high stress or a crisis. Dealing with disruptive impulses and emotions, especially in intercultural situations, is essential for leaders. (Cultural intelligence for leaders, 2012)
The benefit of developing an optimistic perspective
Developing an optimistic perspective will help leaders to improve their self-efficacy. Self-efficacy represents a perception of one's abilities to meet a goal one has set for oneself. It is a foundational component of cultural intelligence. People with higher self-efficacy believe they can overcome obstacles, whether difficult or not. It also helps to see the best in people and expect that changes will be positive. (Cultural intelligence for leaders, 2012)
Mindfulness and mindlessness effects leaders
According to Robinson, mindfulness is paying attention to what's happening in the present moment, being aware of what you're experiencing while you're experiencing it, and accepting without judgment whatever arises, whether it is a thought, feeling, or body sensation. Mindfulness helps with stress reduction, focus, and self-awareness: improving engagement and productivity. (Robinson, 2021)
Mindfulness is shown to be effective in innovation and creativity. Also, mindfulness techniques help leaders to come to an awareness of self-efficacy. Through mindfulness, leaders can see the view of a situation, objects, people, places, or ideas. The connection between mindfulness and self-efficacy is such that using mindfulness helps you focus on your performance and goals. (Cultural intelligence for leaders, 2012)
On the other hand, mindlessness leads to learned helplessness, and that results in a negative impact on the team. With mindlessness, people give up quickly and make excuses. The tasks we have repeated become an unconscious part of us, like driving, brushing our teeth, or eating. (Cultural intelligence for leaders, 2012)
Conclusion
In this discussion, I show the importance of self-efficacy and mindfulness, especially for leaders. Because leaders often make decisions in difficult situations, they must remain calm and make the most of even the slightest possibility, compared to the average employee. Therefore, leaders must learn self-efficacy and mindfulness to overcome difficult situations and improve their cultural intelligence.
References
Cultural intelligence for leaders (v. 1.0). (2012, December 29). Lardbucket. Retrieved from https://2012books.lardbucket.org/pdfs/cultural-intelligence-for-leaders.pdf
Robinson, B. (2021. December 2). People Are Incorrectly Using Mindfulness, Research Shows: Here's What Needs Correcting. Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/bryanrobinson/2021/12/02/people-are-incorrectly-using-mindfulness-research-shows-heres-what-needs-correcting/?sh=4a8a69c810f7
