Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
Its not just the creation of results that makes good leadership. Good leaders are able to deliberately create
challenging results by enlisting the help of others. They can single handedly turn failing companies into
Fortune 500 organizations. They can change company cultures. Good leadership is an essential key to
corporate success.
The Characteristics of a Good Leader
What makes a good leader? Here are some of their most important characteristics:
Self-Awareness. You have an intimate knowledge of your inner emotional state. You know your strengths
and your weaknesses. You know when youre working in flow and you know when youre over worked.
You know yourself, including your capabilities and your limitations, which allows you to push yourself to
your maximum potential.
Self-Direction. Youre able to direct yourself effectively and powerfully. You know how to get things
done, how to organize tasks and how to avoid procrastination. You know how to generate energy for
projects, to calm yourself when angered. You can make decisions quickly when necessary, but can also
slow to consider all the options on the table.
Vision. Youre working towards a goal thats greater than yourself. It could be something small, like the
success of the team, or a larger vision like world peace. Working towards a vision is far more inspiring
than working towards personal gain.
Ability to Motivate. Leaders dont lead by telling people what they have to do. Instead, leaders cause
people to want to help them. A key part of this is cultivating your own desire to help others. When others
sense that you want to help them, they in turn want to help you.
Social Awareness. Understanding social networks and key influencers in that social network is another
key part of leadership. Who in the organization has the most clout, both officially and unofficially? Who
moves the hearts of the group?
Defining Leadership
Leadership Defined
Leadership is at its best when its vision is strategic, the voice persuasive and the
results tangible. In the study of leadership, an exact definition is not essential but
guiding concepts are needed. Useem1
Definition of Leadership
Establishing a single definition of leadership has its challenges:
Leadership has many contexts: from political, military, business, sports and
culture, right through every level and section of society, our communities and
families
Views on what effective leadership is have evolved over time e.g. from
issuing orders to inspiring and empowering
for some greater purpose. Delivering the organizations goals needs to deliver a
benefit to customers, the community or society that is viewed as worthwhile.
Define Leadership - What is leadership?
Leadership is not an end in itself, but a means to bring out the best in people, to
inspire and motivate them to commit their energies, skills and talents to delivering
the organizations vision.
As leadership is focused on the Vision it is all about the 'future' focus. Leadership
seeks to find new opportunities for individuals and the organization to be a success
in the future . That might mean dealing first with very difficult situations that
threatened survival today. In tackling those threats leadership still seeks to create
the better future and seize opportunities.
As leadership tackles the future it needs to empower and harness the capability and
potential of the people and other resources which can come together to make that
future.
To make the future and vision a reality and create and siee new opportunities
leadership is about delivering successful and useful change.
In all of that a key message is that leadership is all about behaviours that take the
people and organisation to a new future.
In making change work Leadership influences the behaviour and actions of
others.
Modern views of leadership have moved away from influence using authority,
position, command and control, to a focus on influencing by:
Building trust
Minimising waste
Delivery consistency
Delivery to plan
Problem solving to ensure the targets are met and changing conditions are
tackled.
all aimed at consistently delivering to the plan and budget and tackling issues as
they arise.
Of course, skilled management is required to plan, co-ordinate and control the
activities and resources required in order to implement the vision.
Sources of confusion
Another source of confusion is some writers that write about 'Management' include
Leadership as a subset. This takes the grand view as that 'Management' is all a
'Leader' or 'Manager' does and is the overarching concept.
This view of 'management' being the overarching concept is sometimes viewed as
useful by some practitioner managers and others that see the need to distinguish
between Leadership and Management as purely an academic exercise with which
they get bored.
Unfortunately this argument can distract from the fact that there are Leadership
competencies and Management Competencies and most roles individuals perform
require some of both. However, the emphasis and strength of need for each set will
vary considerably depending on the job you are doing, the situation and the needs
of the customers. stakeholders and organization.
Understanding the difference between the skill sets and their focus and impact is
useful in helping peopel obtain and develop these competencies and impact their
organisations, others around them and their own careers in the most impactful
manner.
People versus things
Another focus is the people element of leadership as Miller et al make the
following distinction between leadership and management:
Management involves using human, equipment and information resources to
achieve various objectives. On the other hand, leadership focuses on getting things
done through others. Thus you manage things (budgets, procedures and so on), but
you lead people.2
Whilst this can help with the mental view of the two areas of Leadership and
Management it can confuse people 'on the ground' as they say 'I manage people' as
well as 'I lead people'.
Interrelated
Leadership and management are closely related and it is not easy to distinguish
them as separate activities in some situations hence the confusions which can
occur.
How to Be a Leader
To be a leader, you don't have to be an elected official, or a CEO. A leader is someone who
others consistently want to follow for new trends and ideas. A fancy title can make that happen
temporarily, but a true leader inspires steadfast loyalty with the steps below!
1
Be confident. This step has nothing to do with actually knowing what you're doing -- as long as
you're confident, few people will ask questions. People assume things, and when you act as if
you belong, they assume you do. Therefore, when you are confident, they will naturally assume
you know what you are doing. This gains you trust, responsibility, and respect.
Confidence can be had in any situation. Imagine saying, "I don't know the
answer," while looking down, thumbs twiddling, and your legs fidgeting. Now imagine saying, "I
don't know the answer," with your head up, your shoulders back, and looking the speaker in the
eye. Not knowing something is fine -- just be confident that you don't know it! A lack of
knowledge has nothing to do with your confidence (or ability to lead).
2
Be firm, but kind. Since you're leading, you're the one that needs to set the rules and
boundaries. It's up to you to establish some system, rhyme and reason to the situation. To do
so, you must be firm in your convictions and keep to your stance. However, being dictatorial will
instigate a revolution. Be logical and understanding when you assert your rule.
away because they couldn't get them adequately cleaned (and would thusly be reprimanded).
[1]
If you're too dictatorial, your team will throw away your forks. Different management would
have avoided this problem. So be kind and keep your entire cutlery.
3
Become an expert. Saying, "I don't know" as a leader is fine. Saying, "I don't know" repeatedly
to every question you're asked is not. When you don't know something, find out the answer.
Become an expert on what you need to be a pro in. Eventually, you'll have all the answers. You
don't need them all right now, but you'll need each one eventually.
Having a certain level of knowledge will help you feel confident and more leader-
esque. While you can do without it, it's a matter of time before someone else with more
knowledge and charisma comes along and takes the title out from under your feet. So whatever,
whoever you're looking to lead, start studying up! It'll pay off in the long run.
4
Be decisive. You're standing in a circle of a group of friends, debating on what to do that night.
Everyone is dilly-dallying, complaining, nixing everyone else's ideas until one person finally
steps up and says, "Guys, we're doing this." That person rose to the top, saw the situation
needed direction, and took charge. Leader, leader, leader.
That being said, you have to know your place. There will be times when you have
to make the decision yourself and times when you have to give the team time to form a
consensus. Respect your followers -- what might happen if you veto their opinions? Which
brings us to...
5
Care about your followers. Just because they are not leaders doesn't mean they are idiots.
They'll be able to tell if you're compassionate and genuinely concerned for them. And if you're
not, they'll chuck you off your pedestal. Remember who butters your bread! Without them, you
have no one to lead and are a leader no longer.
Caring for them is not the same as acquiescing to their desires. You're leading
(hopefully) because you know what's best for the team; they may not. Just because someone
disagrees with you doesn't mean you have to give them what they want. Allow them to disagree
with you, listen to their argument, and let them know why you think the way you do. Let them
know you care, but are acting in the best way you see fit.
6
Believe that anyone can be a leader. Truth be told, everyone is looking to be led. Think of life
as a dark path -- the more leaders you have, the more people are in front of you holding
industrial strength flashlights. Which would you rather have? Not only do people want leaders,
but also they are looking for them. For that reason, anyone can do it. You just got to fill the void.
Think about going to a new restaurant (the restaurant is life). You get a waiter that
greets with you a smile and outlines the flavors of three of their best dishes, guarantees your
satisfaction and tells you he'll personally whip up something else if you don't like it. Somewhere
in your head, you are breathing a sigh of relief thinking, "Ahh. Yes. This will be a relaxing night -I'm in good hands." That's what everyone wants in life (in most restaurants, too).
1
Keep your promises. You know how politicians are viewed as promise-breakers? Good. You
also know how people hate politicians? Well, there you have it. Break your promises and you
lose respect. Point blank. You can fit the suit, you can have all the charisma, and you can have
the knowledge, but if you don't deliver on what you promised to deliver, the people will have you
silver platter.
An integral part of keeping promises is knowing what's doable and what's not. If
you can define between the two, the only other obstacle is being honest. Practice this with your
kids, practice this with your teammates, and practice this at every opportunity. Developing a
strong moral code removes room for those questioning your ability to lead and hold power.
2
Dress the part. If you walk into an office in a suit and tie, constantly glancing at your watch,
people are going to assume you're waiting for some schmuck who's late for a business meeting.
Walk into an office in a t-shirt and baseball cap and people will start wanting to know where their
pizza is. If you want to lead, you gotta look the part.
3
Treat your team well. Alright, so you know to care about your team, but you gotta follow it up
with your actions. If you preach to your team to be cohesive, act like they're having fun, and be
friendly with your clients but turn around and yell at them every 5 minutes when they crack a
smile, you're not living out your message. Set forth a good, caring example, and they'll fall in
line.
The old adage, "Do as I say, not as I do" is crap. It might have worked on you
when you were 6 years old, but it will not work on a team of adults. They might not let you know
explicitly, but they will be unhappy, eventually leave, and this will cut into your product. It may not
have immediate repercussions, but eventually any hypocrisy on your part will catch up with you.
4
Show your commitment to your team's betterment. For your organization to grow, everyone
has to get better. This has nothing to do with just you being great -- you have to make your team
great. Ideally, the task will done and the team will say, "We did it!", not you exclaiming, "I did it!"
It's about the whole of the group, not the one.
To grow your team, you have to pay attention to them. Forcing numbers and
leaving them to figure out roles won't do them justice. Get to know them on an individual level
and commit to them becoming more resourceful members of your group (what role do they fit
best in? What resources could they use). Help them learn, help them grow, and help them take
the reins when you need back up.
5
Ask questions. As a leader, you're sort of untouchable. People may not come to you because
you're the big man of the organization. They don't want to pipe up and cause a ruckus. Know
that you're dealing with a constant level of perceived intimidation that you need to break down.
How do you do this? Ask questions first!
Don't wait for feedback from your team -- they may never offer it. After all, you're
the one dictating how things are going; they may not think their opinion matters. Ask them how
you're doing, how they're doing, and what they see to make the whole process better. Just
because they're not leading doesn't mean they're not full of great ideas!
6
Lead only when you have to. A natural leader does not walk into a room and proclaim, "HERE
I AM." It's not about grabbing a situation by the horns and molding it to your vision, no, not at all.
It's about seeing that something needs to be done and rising to the occasion.
In most situations, no leader will be titled as such. It's just a position that
someone naturally gravitates to. People will not grant you the outright privilege, but they can
keep you from having it. Avoid coming off as a dominant, who-does-he-think-he-is go-getter and
wait for the right moment. You'll feel it.
7
Start "seeing" more than "doing." As you have probably started gathering, being a leader is
more of an innate quality than a series of actions. To lead a situation, you need to see it arising,
see how you can help it, and see the path it's going down. Let your team take care of the doing.
You just gotta have a vision.
This is similar to "the one who yells loudest gets heard." Just because that
person is loud certainly doesn't mean they're right. You don't have to be going 90 mph leaving a
trail of rubble behind you to be a good leader. Actually, you shouldn't be doing that. Your time
should be spent interpreting, molding, and offering solutions.
Identify a problem. Look around and find ways to make the world a better place. Observe your
surroundings and listen to people. How can you help? What challenged has yet to be
answered? What could use organization?
Discover what your talents are, develop them, and focus on applying them
towards making a difference. What problems would your talents be best suited for? Think of
problems in the broader sense - they're not always easy to define.
Look for needs, niches, conflicts, gaps that need to be filled, and inefficiencies.
The solutions won't always be creative or cutting edge; sometimes they're the simplest things.
2
Think of the big picture. As you're solving problems (or simply improving what's already
satisfactory), you might notice patterns, and wonder if many of those issues are symptoms of a
deeper, bigger problem or construct. Thoreau once said, "For every thousand hacking at the
leaves of evil, one is hacking at the root." Take a step back and try to find the root. The deeper
matter is often not something anybody can solve alone; it'll require a group effort, which is where
your role as a leader comes into play.
If you are working closely with a team, use them to your advantage. What roles
dothey feel best suited for? How is their time being utilized? What ideas do they have that have
yet to be implemented? In many cases, growth is a matter of rearranging and refining -- not
necessarily a problem at all.
3
Be proactive. If you have these ideas in your mind about what the deeper issues are, you can
probably predict the problems that will crop up as a result. Instead of waiting for those problems
to appear, take steps to prevent them. If you can't prevent them, then you can at least prepare.
That's the core difference between a leader and a manager. A good manager responds well to
various situations; a good leader takes effective action to prevent and create situations before
they actually happen.
Don't be afraid to assign roles to your team! They may take solace in the label. If
you see a potential problem, construct a preventative task force. That's what your team is there
for, after all.
4
Make decisions and take responsibility for the consequences. To exert influence and tackle
bigger problems, you're going to need decision-making power, and those decisions will affect
the people who grant you that power. This is as much a responsibility as it is an honor. Not only
do you need to be able to make sound decisions, but you also need to be willing to be held
accountable to them. If things go wrong, people will assume it's your fault (whether it is or not).
Think of yourself as the captain of a ship; the fate of the ship is essentially in your
worst.
o
If you're not prepared to take responsibility for your decisions - if you struggle with
hesitation and self-doubt - it might be a good idea to step down. An insecure leader often
becomes a tyrant.
5
Share your vision. As a leader, you can see the bigger issues, but you can also see how things
could be so much better if we could just remove those obstacles. To get people to help you in
changing things, you need to share that positive vision with them. Inspire them. Motivate them.
Guide them. Show them how their actions are bringing everyone closer to that dream.
John Gardner is quoted to have said, "Most importantly, leaders can conceive
and articulate goals that lift people out of their petty preoccupations and unite them in pursuit of
objectives worthy of their best efforts." Let that be you.
6
Remember that it is about the entire team. The greatest leaders saw their role to an end, and
themselves, as an instrument of a deeper purpose; any glory, prestige, or wealth was a side
effect rather than a motivation. After all, nothing would get done with just the efforts of one man.
Or woman!
If you want to realize a vision, the most effective way to do it is not with an army
of drones; that army will only last as long as you do. For the most long-lasting results, share
your vision and let people adopt it as their own, and let it spread like wildfire.
Think of yourself as the beginning of a chain reaction--once it's begun, you can
step away and it'll continue to happen without any effort on your part.
Here's another apt quote for you -- this one from Lao Tzu: "A leader is best when
people barely know he exists. When his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say:we did it
ourselves.
Tips
"If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more,
you are a leader." (John Quincy Adams)
Charisma is certainly helpful, but it's not essential. There have been many admired
leaders in the human history who weren't the friendliest, most charming of people in the bunch.
What was important, however, was that people trusted them, and they were inspired by his or
her vision. What you will need is good communication skills (whether it's through speaking,
writing, even art) so you can articulate your vision.
Always practice what you preach. There's no better way to lose your credibility as a
leader than to be a hypocrite.
At the most basic level, a leader is someone who leads other. But what makes someone a leader?
What is it about being a leader that some people understand and use to their advantage? What can
you do to be a leader? Here's what you need to know and do.
A leader is a person who has a vision, a drive and a commitment to achieve that vision, and the skills
to make it happen. Let's look at each of those in detail.
The Leader's Vision
A leader has a vision. Leaders see a problem that needs to be fixed or a goal that needs to be
achieved. It may be something that no one else sees or simply something that no one else wants to
tackle. Whatever it is, it is the focus of the leader's attention and they attack it with a single-minded
determination.
Whether the goal is to double the company's annual sales, develop a product that will solve a certain
problem, or start a company that can achieve the leader's dream, the leader always has a clear target
in mind. This is a big picture sort of thing, not the process improvement that reduces errors by 2% but
the new manufacturing process that completely eliminates the step that caused the errors. It is the
new product that makes people say "why didn't I think of that", not just a toaster that lets you select
the degree of darkness of the toast. Edison did not set out to build a better candle, he wanted to find
a whole new way to illuminate the darkness. That's the kind of vision a leader has.
The Drive To See It Through
It is not enough to just have a vision. Lots of people see things that should be done, things that
should be fixed, great step forward that could be taken. What makes leaders different is that they act.
They take the steps to achieve their vision.
Is it a passion for the idea, an inner sense of drive, or some sense of commitment? Whatever it is, it is
the strength that lets leaders move their vision forward despite all the obstacles, despite all the people
saying it can't be done, it's too costly, we tried that before, or a dozen other excuses. The true leader
perseveres and moves forward.
Trait And Skills A Leader Must Have
There are things that set leaders apart from other people. Some people are born with these
characteristics. Others develop them as they improve as leaders. These are not magic bullets. They
are things you can do and be if you want to be a leader.
Traits Of A Leader
There are as many traits of a leader as there ae lists of what makes a leader. Here are the
fundamental traits of a leader from my perspective:
Has integrity. People have to believe that you are pursuing your dream because it's the right
Effective communication - it's more than just being able to speak and write. A leader's
communication must move people to work toward the goal the leader has chosen.
Motivation - a leader has to be able to motivate everyone to contribute. Each of us has
different "buttons". A leader knows how to push the right buttons on everyone to make them really
want to do their best to achieve the leader's goal.
Planning - the leader has a plan to achieve the goal. He/she doesn't get too bogged down in
the details, that's what managers are for, but rather uses a high level plan to keep everyone moving
together toward the goal.
Bottom Line
Leaders dream dreams. They refuse to let anyone or anything get in the way of achieving those
dreams. They are realistic, but unrelenting. They are polite, but insistent. The constantly and
consistently drive forward toward their goal. You can be a leader. You will be - when it matters enough
to you.