Name: Deter Lloyd S.

Bituin Section: BAT 3B

ME AS A LEADER

1. Are you an effective leader in your respective field? Why do you say so? Share

your story. (50 points)

When we talk about a leader, we mean someone who motivates others, inspires

specific actions, establishes direction, and assists themselves and others in moving

forward. In other words, it is one person's ability to elicit responses from another person

that go beyond required or mechanical compliance. But what exactly is a leader in an

agricultural field of specialization? How significant is it as an agriculturist? And, as an

agriculturist, will I be an effective leader someday?

Leadership is the ability to give others focus and vision, clearly identifying goals

to which others aspire, thereby increasing productivity, efficiency, and impact.

Leadership functions at various levels and in various capacities. It is not the same as

management or administration. It is visionary, but it must also be practical, and it

operates at multiple levels within organizations. Leadership of a small group of people

can be just as important as leadership of hundreds or thousands of people. In fact, the

leadership of a large or complex organization cannot usually function well unless there

are other leaders at a lower level who are capable of implementing the leader's vision

by leading smaller groups of people towards common goals.

In a farm, without leadership is like a ship at sea with no clear destination.

Because as a farm leader, you are the one who creates the vision and identifies ways to

expand resources to carry out the mission. And, as a leader, the farmer must think long
term by effectively identifying the mission, assessing the needs, and developing a

strategic plan for the farm operation.

Furthermore, agricultural research is carried out by a diverse range of

organizations and institutions all over the world. True leadership is required to

coordinate their activities in order to address both local and global issues. Formal

agricultural research is conducted by universities, national research institutions,

independent research organizations, the private sector, and international agricultural

research centers, and it requires strong and effective leadership to be effective. Within

any given institution, research activities are frequently divided into programs or themes

with leaders (who may be known by other titles such as coordinator, moderator, or

director), and individual projects must have leaders within those subgroupings. It is

important to remember that leadership is essential even at the field level of research.

Leadership of technical or labor service staff has a significant impact on productivity and

efficiency, though the impact of leadership at these levels can be mitigated by efficient

and effective management and administration at higher levels.

However, choosing or determining the right direction in agriculture is becoming

increasingly difficult, especially in today's fast-changing society. And these are the

current challenges that a leaders is facing. The market is overflowing with specialists,

but there is a distinct lack of general management expertise and strategic thinkers who

can see the perspectives and concerns of all decision makers.

In my case, I can say that despite being the one in charge of our farm, I am not

yet an effective leader in my field. Because I was not born as a natural leader with
leadership skills, I still need someone to guide me to be a good leader, particularly in

creating a vision and dealing with people. But I'm confident that these can be learned

and that my abilities will improve over time. Even though leadership skills can be

learned and developed, a leader who has acquired these skills (such as myself) through

my career may always have to work a little harder than a natural leader to ensure that

my vision is achieved. And I am still practicing and willing to be a good leader because

when a good leader articulates a vision or an idea, many people will follow that

leadership through a combination of the leader’s charisma, the vision that resounds

personally with the people, respect for the leader, and belief in the goals and the vision.
 2. As a leader, what may be those areas you would like to consider for you to

become effective and efficient? (50 points)

Leadership abilities can have a significant impact on a person's career

development. There are several core leadership skills that are regarded as important

traits in order to help us become more effective leaders. We must constantly challenge

ourselves to improve our leadership abilities, whether it's taking the initiative, developing

critical thinking skills, or learning how to motivate and empower those around us.

And as I said, there are many different types of leaders, but very few people are

natural, born leaders. Most of us, including me, need to learn, develop, and improve on

how to be a good leader. Leadership development involves identifying and mastering

the key skills and characteristics that are required to become a successful leader. And

these are the following areas I would like to consider for me to become effective and

efficient leader:

1. Taking Initiative

One of the most important things to do in the agricultural field is to take the initiative. I

should get out of my comfort zone and push myself to be better. I'll keep in mind that the

more work I do, the more I learn. Learning more and taking on more responsibility will

eventually help me advance to a position of leadership in my field.

2. Critical Thinking

As an agriculturist, I will need to be a critical thinker. Since, good leaders can foresee

potential problems before they happen. They can also develop ways to prevent
problems from happening. Good leaders are also aware of potential opportunities and

take advantage. In other words, I will be proactive. I will not wait for things to happen;

instead, anticipate them, and help the team be ready in case something goes wrong (for

example, bad weather or the attack of insect).

3. Listening Effectively

Communication skills are critical to being an effective leader, whether it's presenting in

front of the people, creating and writing a strategy to achieve the goal of a farm, or

communicating to people and costumer. One of the most important communication

skills for a leader is listening. Without listening skills, I am not able to get feedback from

others and get a sense of what people like about they work on since feedback is a key. I

will keep in mind that communication is not just about verbal communication. I should

be aware of body language and gestures to determine what people are really saying.

Also, listening to those people of experts will help me understand what can and can't be

done.

4. Motivate Others

A true leader should positively influence people. When people lose their ambitions and

passions, a true leader can energize and motivate them. Sometimes, people lose their

motivation because they are facing difficulties, are tired of doing the same repetitive

tasks, or because of the calamities that give a big impact in the farm.

5. Discipline
Discipline is required in order to execute the goal. Even if you have a vision or a good

idea, it's useless without discipline. If you want to execute effectively, you need

discipline. So, to be a good leader, I need to be self-disciplined, and make sure others

on my team are disciplined.

6. Handling Conflicts

Practicing to know how to handle difficult people and resolve conflicts. If people doesn't

work to the best of their ability and brings a negative attitude to work, I should have to

step up and talk to that person in private. I should be honest and straightforward. This

requires a lot of courage. It is not easy to point out a problem or fire someone, so I will

always listen to the people's side of the story before I reach a conclusion and take

action.

7. Be a Follower

Be a follower is also an important factor to be an effective leader. I should learn to

recognize the value of team members, learn from them, and encourage other team

members to learn from them. Learn things that I didn't know from a person who

specializes in a particular area. If a person has a new idea, encourage it, and see where

it goes. Be one of their biggest fans. Help them to step out of their comfort zone and by

believing in them; I'll instill confidence. Recognize when one of your people is taking the

type of initiative that you took when you were just starting out, building your skillset, and

honing your leadership skills.