Leaders and Leadership

Professor ; Ms. Gloria B. Dumaliang

Leaders and leadership are top-of-the-mind subjects among businesspeople, coaches, athletes, politicians, clergy, and individuals in all walks of life. We demand more from our leaders every day but do little to prepare people for the leadership roles they take on during their lives.

To paraphrase Shakespeare, some people are born leaders, some achieve leadership, and others have leadership thrust upon them.

Leadership is stated as the "process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task."

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.

Five Essential Qualities of a Leader

A leader must have

1. COURAGE- The majority of people fail to achieve the quality of life they seek because they are shackled by their own fears.
Courage is the will to press on, to do what is necessary and what is right, to overcome obstacles even when afraid.

2. CONFIDENCE- It is the unshakable belief in yourself that you can make happen what you want to happen. Confidence allows you to keep trying until you get better, to seek help and advice, to ignore the wellmeaning spectators who are ready at your first misstep to tell you that it cant do it right, you never were good enough, and you never will be.

3.CONCENTRATION- It has two parts.

The first is persistence, the most important determining factor in an individuals success. The second component of concentration is focus, or the ability to stay on track, organize oneself, and reduce debilitating distractions. Great leaders have the ability to separate what is immediately pressing from what is truly important.

4. PASSION for what they do and what they believe in. They are consistently enthusiastic, upbeat, and optimistic. They bring a genuine joy to whatever they do. Even when things are not going well, they can instill in others the belief that together they can make the situation better.

5. Finally, leaders must have a strong sense of VALUES . Values are enduring standards of behavior. They are the stuff upon which our reputations are built. They help us determine whom we can count on, how people will react in given situations, and whom we want as friends.

The Influence of an Effective Leader

The Influence of an effective leader

Be a person of strong character and increasing skill and you will always be growing in your influence.

1. An Effective Leader Shares Responsibility

Being a leader is not about being a boss and telling people what to doit is communicating a vision or a goal and motivating action.

It isnt about taking charge and delegating tasks because you dont want to or have the time to do them yourself.
Its about sharing responsibility for the good of all on your team.

2. A Leader of Character Instills Trust To be an effective leader, your followers must have trust in you and they need to be sold on your vision. Trust and confidence in leadership is a reliable predictor of employee satisfaction.

Satisfied and fulfilled employees mean productive employees. Without your people on your side, you really cannot achieve your vision.

3. Grow Yourself as You Grow Your Employees Sharpen the saw, as Stephen Covey puts it, is one of the most important things you can do for yourself as a leader, your team, and your organization. Leaders develop through a never-ending process of selfstudy, education, training, and experience.

A Leader Achieves Goals Through Trust and Respect Effective leadership takes time. It is an ongoing process of listening, learning, reflecting, setting an example, fostering trust, encouraging, and coaching team members toward a goal. The key to effective leadership is the relationship you build with your team.

Styles of leadership

There are many ways to lead and every leader has his or her own style.

1. Autocratic Leadership Style

It is one in which the manager retains as much power and decision-making authority as possible. The manager does not consult employees, nor are they allowed to give any input. Employees are expected to obey orders without receiving any explanations.

2. Bureaucratic Leadership Style Bureaucratic leadership is where the manager manages by the book Everything must be done according to procedure or policy. If it isnt covered by the book, the manager refers to the next level above him or her. This manager is really more of a police officer than a leader. He or she enforces the rules.

3. Democratic Leadership Style It is also called the participative style as it encourages employees to be a part of the decision making. The democratic manager keeps his or her employees informed about everything that affects their work and shares decision making and problem solving responsibilities. This style requires the leader to be a coach who has the final say, but gathers information from staff members before making a decision.

4. Laissez-Faire Leadership Style It is also known as the hands-off style. It is one in which the manager provides little or no direction and gives employees as much freedom as possible.

All authority or power is given to the employees and they must determine goals, make decisions, and resolve problems on their own.

Varying Leadership Style

While the proper leadership style depends on the situation, there are three other factors that also influence which leadership style to use. 1. The managers personal background 2. The employees being supervised. 3. The company

By encouraging team members to excel and providing them with opportunities for growth, a leader of character will always succeed.