1)   Introduction

In the following reflective analysis, I have applied the Gibbs Reflective Cycle to evaluate my approach to assignments in the workplace or university and also come up with my research, analysis, and communication skill set. Further, I need to work on time management and stress handling (Adeani et al., 2020). I will continue with self-assessment and critically analyze the skills of a business leader using the same models: either the Genome Project or Covey’s model to focus on visionary leadership, customer centricity, and other relevant skills. Through this comparison, I will recognize the gaps in my leadership skills and work on improvement to achieve personal effectiveness.

The Gibbs Reflective Cycle will serve as the guide for my reflection on how I manage my tasks. Now, shifting to evaluating a business leader’s skills, I will select a leader whose leadership qualities I admire in the areas I want to excel in (Potter, 2015). I will analyze visionary leadership, customer orientation, and other necessary skills by employing either the Genome Project or Covey’s model. I will fully utilize this analysis as a baseline to compare myself with others and point out the areas where I should improve to gain a better result.

Considering my findings from contemplating and examining Tasks 1 and 2, I will pick two areas that need improvement and draw up a short-term plan to enhance them. In every section of my self-improvement essay, I shall describe one meaning that differs from everyone. The plan will consist of specific actions along with deadlines that will be set to achieve the progress targets of my self-improvement.

1.    Task 1-1-Reflective Model, Strength & Weakness

a)      Comparison of Task with Won Skills

When I consider my unique skills in this challenge, I understand that it fits well with my abilities in research, analysis, and communication. These skills indeed lead to my ability to research relevant material and interpret, analyze, and communicate complex ideas effectively enough. Conversely, this assignment expands my weaknesses that require improvement, like timekeeping and dealing with stress.

b)     Gibbs Model or Reflection & how it applies in our case

Gibbs’ model of reflection consists of six stages: a description, feelings, evaluation, analysis, conclusion, & an action plan (Markkanen et al., 2020).

• Description: I begin with the exact task description, providing the client with the work proposal requirements and the due date for the presentation.
• Feelings: I express my first thought about the task: the competition gives me as much confidence as it raises anxiety about the deadline.
• Evaluation: I go on to assess my performance in the task, which includes realizing that although I could produce the project proposal on time, I could have started on it early enough to reduce the time pressure.
• Analysis: I self-evaluated my strengths and weaknesses in accomplishing the task. I acknowledge that my research competency and analysis skills are highly developed, so I can generate a comprehensive plan. On the positive side, I know that my time management needs to be improved (Aneeis Hashim et al., 2023).
• Conclusion: Overall, time management is the key to success in the future. One must not leave anything to the last minute and deliver papers at the highest level.
• Action Plan: In future projects, I will set detailed deadlines for each stage and begin tasks one by one to avoid procrastination.

c)      Identification of weakness in this situation

The shortcoming I noticed in this scenario is my habit of procrastinating, which makes meeting a deadline at the last minute difficult. This affected my time management skills to some extent, and if the deadline had been stricter, the quality of my work could have been impacted.

d)     Identification of strength under this situation

One of the strengths I have observed in this situation is my extensive research and analysis capacity. This strength has enabled me to use information correctly, analyze it well, and present it clearly.

2.    Task 1-2-Skill identification

a)      Research Skills:

Strength: The extensive research skills I developed in the previous lessons were an excellent foundation for preparing the project proposal. I leverage several sources, including journals, industry reports, and online databases, to ensure their work is up to the standard and encompasses what is needed for the research. This skill was cultivated from childhood when I majored in business and was taught how to conduct careful and detailed research.

Improvement: Although I have great research skills, I think that they can be improved by learning to evaluate sources critically. Therefore, I might examine the credibility and relevance of sources much more critically to remove uncertainties and present only the best relevant arguments in my work (Kapantzoglou et al., 2012).

b)     Analysis & Research Skills:

Strength: My research skills also showed how I came up with accurate conclusions by closely examining the findings. I was able to interpret the data wisely and then find significant insights regarding project planning. I have mastered this skill while working with business management, a process that I frequently employ to formulate logical decisions.

Improvement: To sophisticate my analysis skills, I need to polish my critical and technological thinking. I need to be able to question stereotypes, listen to opinions from different angles, and think divergently, which will help me guarantee creative problem-solving and cognitive insight.

c)      Communication Skills:

Strength: My communication skills helped me write a great project proposal. Through this process, I was able to provide the client with exact and detailed recommendations and complex ideas while ensuring that information was easily understood. I also perfected my communication ability by working in [relevant experience], characterized by regular conversations with our clients, workers, and stakeholders.

Improvement: To improve my communication skills, I have to work on tailoring my message/s for different audiences. Therefore, I will need to tailor the way I communicate and the content to achieve the right pitch and convey the message in a useful way to my different stakeholders (people with different levels of understanding and interests).

Summarizing, my research ability, analysis, and writing were the 3 specific strengths used to develop this project proposal. Through self-reflection and identifying which areas need to be further improved, my overall skills can become more robust, and I will satisfy my audience with my work no matter the type of work.

3.    Task 2-1- Genome Project Analysis:

a)      Visionary Leadership:

Long-Term Vision: With the long-term view, Bezos turned an online bookseller into a global eCommerce engine that now serves as a vital cloud service provider (AWS) and an innovator in AI and Robotics.

Innovative Thinking: Yet, the scope of his vision is more comprehensive than his existing markets. Like Blue Origin, his space exploration company exemplifies his innovative and futuristic mindset.

b)     Customer Centricity:

Obsession with Customer Experience: Bezos puts customer satisfaction first, and this literally is the engine that drives Amazon to provide the broadest product selection ever, super-fast delivery, and top-notch service

Personalization and Data Utilization: Bezos founded Amazon’s action to personalize its recommendations and services on data-driven decision frames.

c)      Risk-Taking and Innovation:

Culture of Innovation: Bezos creates a safe environment for teamwork and experimentation, eventually leading to unique products like Amazon Prime and Kindle.

Diverse Ventures: His desire to experiment arises from Amazon’s expansion into different areas, including the grocery sector (Whole Foods) and entertainment (Amazon Studios).

d)     Adaptability and Resilience:

Market Disruption: Bezos’ demonstrated adaptability to market problems (e.g., the burst of the dot-com bubble), for example, shifting the direction of Amazon’s business to ensure continued operation and expansion, has proven crucial to the company’s success.

Acquisition Strategy: Amazon learned the art of strategic acquisition through its purchases, including Zappos and Twitch, which symbolized Bezos’ flexibility and capability to seize business opportunities whenever they came up for sale.

e)      Operational Excellence:

Supply Chain Innovation: Bezos has led the realization of some of the world’s most optimized supply chains, with instant and trustworthy goods delivered to customers.

Automation and Technology: Amazon’s capital investments in automation and technology demonstrate that Bezos is interested in operational effectiveness and growth capacity.

Overall Impact:

It remains indisputable that Jeff Bezos exemplifies a genuine but unusual business leader through his leadership style, described by the Genome Project and Covey’s model. Even though his team members have helped mold and form the company’s culture, his vision, commitment to the customer, operational excellence, innovation, and founder’s values were critical in achieving the company’s success and contributed to the development of the business environment worldwide.

4.    Task 2-2 Self Skill Comparison with Business Leadership

Comparing Jeff Bezos’ skills as a business leader with my own, I can identify several areas where I can focus on development to improve my personal effectiveness (Kotagal & Pellegrini, 2018): Comparing Jeff Bezos’ skills as a business leader with my own, I can identify several areas where I can focus on development to improve my personal effectiveness:

a)      Visionary Leadership:

The most fundamental attribute of Bezos’ leadership has been his vision that turned the fortune of Amazon where nothing was impossible. I better define my projects’ or career path’s aims, thus ensuring that I have well-thought, realistic goals and actions that might bring this path to fruition.

b)     Customer Centricity:

Serving customers well was the key determinant of Amazon’s success, and Jeff Bezos, the founder and CEO, focused heavily on this. Through feedback, clients or users are in a position to guide my personal customer-focused approach, allowing me to make changes to the products or services I offer to improve their quality.

c)      Innovation and Risk-Taking:

Bezos’ ability to take risks and create innovative solutions is evident when introducing the company’s products and services. I will innovate by being open-minded and inviting the influx of fresh thoughts into my work, thus involving new solutions.

d)     Adaptability and Resilience:

Branding himself as an empathic leader, he has proved his adaptability in the face of fixing market hurdles. I can strive towards my own adaptability by remaining updated with changing industry developments and being open to change. Hence, I will be able to learn to deal with uncertainties more positively (Tait, 1996).

e)      Operational Excellence:

Bezos’ creation of optimized production systems in Amazon is, to a large extent, his great achievement that has allowed Amazon to stay afloat in the competitive retail market. Commingling my own skill can be a perfect way to practice the efficiency, effectiveness and timing of my project workthroughs (Hicks & Waddock, 2016).

f)       Communication and Leadership:

Better still, Bezos creatively explains the company’s vision and strategy, culminating in employees’ high sense of commitment. I will strive to do so by improving my communication skills (to presumably interact with and motivate others), which will, in turn, enhance my leadership effectiveness.

g)      Continuous Learning and Improvement:

This echoes his attitude towards continuous perfection: everything has to be new, and he seeks better ways to operate and speed up processes. In the same way, I can develop a comparable awareness by recognizing the need to learn continually and using the results of learning to strengthen my skills and abilities.

5.    Task 3- Area of Development with Short term planning for improvement

a)      Visionary Leadership:

Set Specific Goals:

Action Plan: Determine my three SMART goals for this project. These goals should be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound.

Enhancing Personal Effectiveness: Staying focused and motivated will serve this purpose; I will ensure that my undertakings are properly aligned with the project’s objectives and strategic vision.

Research and Planning:

Action Plan: I intend to allocate at least two hours every week to exploring and understanding the latest trends, market conditions, and future prospects related to my projects.

Enhancing Personal Effectiveness: Through such experience, I will see things differently and receive the assistance I need to determine how to proceed.

Seek Feedback:

Action Plan: Schedule regular meetings in two weeks with my mentor and teammate to discuss and write out my vision in addition to feedback.

Enhancing Personal Effectiveness: Critical customer reviews from established professionals will help me adapt my idea to make it more accurate and make me identify the places that need any conceptual enhancements.

Implement Changes:

Action Plan: According to the feedback received before the final submission, I must make at least one crucial change every two weeks.

Enhancing Personal Effectiveness: This skill will showcase my talent for overcoming challenges and innovating, which are vital personal qualities of visionary leaders. Through this, I will demonstrate that I will be a visionary leader.

Communicate Vision:

Action Plan: I will formulate a concise and powerful project statement and disseminate it among my team members and company representatives.

Enhancing Personal Effectiveness: Comprehensive communication is the key to creating a shared objective and uniting everyone to engage in the set target. Expanding on the short-term plan to improve visionary leadership and customer centricity: Expanding on the short-term plan to improve visionary leadership and customer centricity:

b)     Customer Centricity:

Implement Feedback Systems:

Action Plan: Develop a web-based questionnaire and send it to the customers and users to allow them to rate my services against the market standards.

Enhancing Personal Effectiveness: This way, we can determine customer needs and our customers’ tastes and selection process.

Analyze Feedback:

Action Plan: Schedule periodic reviews every week to analyze the collected feedback and note the possible areas for improvement and recurring themes.

Enhancing Personal Effectiveness: It will help me with this, on the one hand, by making me focus on the changes and improvements that will be most influential on customer delight.

Implement Changes:

Action Plan: Based on my findings in the feedback analysis, it is wise to develop at least one customer-oriented improvement or enhancement every two weeks.

Enhancing Personal Effectiveness: The fact that I will be proactively looking into potential areas for improvement will make it clear to the customer that I am fully committed to their satisfaction and continuous improvement.

Monitor and Iterate:

Action Plan: Once you get the customer feedback, ensure that your changes are effective and bring positive results.

Enhancing Personal Effectiveness: This iterative process will help me produce new products or services after communicating the feedback I am getting from my customers in real-time. As a result, these products will be more relevant and valuable to the customers.

Personalized Approach:

Action Plan: List at least 3 forms of personal touch to visitors, whether an event presenting customized solutions or personal dialogues.

Enhancing Personal Effectiveness: Utilizing this method will demonstrate that I can meet the individual’s requirements and the value of providing individual strategies and recommendations.

Through the practical application of these action plans, I envision growing my visionary leadership and use of principles, which can lead to better accountability and leadership proficiency.

6.    Conclusion

Combining reflective analysis and critical assessment of a leader’s abilities forms a full-fledged scheme for self-development on the job. The Gibbs Reflective Cycle highlighted my abilities during this course, including research, analysis, and communication (Aneeis Hashim et al., 2023). However, I have detected an area of improvement: time management and dealing with pressure. After employing the learning from the comparison, I can assess leaders’ competencies from either the Genome Project or Covey’s model, and I now have a better picture of the aspects that define leadership. In this comparison, I can improve on visionary leadership and customer centricity, which correspond to my ambitions to realize my career expansion plans. To this end, an action-oriented short-term development plan will be prepared based on the previous performance analysis. This plan seeks to address my visionary leadership and customer satisfaction centered through particular tactics and approaches meant to boost my personal effectiveness. Through this plan, I will hone my abilities and increase my effectiveness and impact as a leader in my chosen niche.