Leadership
The only constant in life is change. Perhaps, it is the recognition of this fact that led the management guru, Peter Drucker, to observe, "Leaders grow; they are not made." Peter Drucker's words are significant because they imply that the test of true leadership lies in the ability to grow by leading change (1999). Indeed, some of the world's greatest leaders such as Franklin D. Roosevelt, Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King are admired precisely because they possessed such a quality: "Effective leadership, research suggests ... is a function of the situation in which it is found." (Kotter, 1988, p. 21) Thus, it is evident that good leaders are people who continuously engage in a process of change in order to secure a better future.
The examples of Roosevelt, Gandhi, and King also serve to illustrate another quality that a good leader must possess, which is the quality of courage. This is evident in the manner in which each of these men were able to face down the adversity of extreme situations such as the Great Depression, World War II, British colonial rule and American racial segregation. Courage, unfortunately, is a character trait that is found in very few people. Which is why, it is probably the singular trait that distinguishes a good leader from the rest. In fact, this characteristic of leadership is aptly captured by a Chinese proverb, which says, "An army of a thousand is easy to find, but, ah, how difficult to find a general." (Heart Quotes Center)
Interestingly, a key requirement for a leader to be able to connect with people is the sharing of common values. However, it is not enough for a leader to simply pay lip service to values such as integrity, courage, determination and accountability. For, if a leader is to succeed in inculcating such values in people, it is critical that he or she lead by example. Indeed, it can even be argued that a good leader is distinguished by the moral authority he or she displays at all times. This includes the courage to acknowledge a personal mistake and possessing the…
Leadership is a process that helps in directing and mobilizing people. It has for the past 100 years been a subject of many studies. These studies have come up with theories of the nature and exercise of leadership. Some of these theories include trait theories of leadership, theories of emergent leadership, leadership style theories, psychodynamic theories, and the path goal theories among others. The second section of this paper focuses
Leadership Sustainability in Leadership Current global occurrences have posed a great challenge to the continued existence of living things on earth. At this stage in the history of man, humanity is struggling with a lot of challenges; and these challenges are not restricted to region or race. Problems associated with climate change, increased rate of poverty, inconsistent democracy, and lack of justice and fairness in society are common to all nations. At
Leadership On the surface, Military Leadership and Virtual Leadership seem like polar opposites. Military leadership is old, entrenched, and traditional with little flexibility in terms of normative behavior. On the other hand, virtual leadership is new, highly flexible, and sometimes signals a flat organizational hierarchy. Military leadership cannot exhibit a flat organizational hierarchy, because effective military leadership depends on the ascription to established structure and chain of command. In spite of
Leadership, Team Building, And Communication Leadership, Communication and Team Building Examine traditional, contemporary, and emerging leadership theories and interpersonal forms of power. Create a profile of the ideal leader for the company you researched in which you describe the most appropriate leadership characteristics in terms of leadership style and interpersonal forms of power; and how these characteristics impact organizational performance. Leadership theories emerged during the early years of the twentieth century. The major
It was after this season that Phil Jackson left the Platoons of Albany and joined the Chicago Bulls as an Assistant Coach, and as it is generally said, the 'rest is history'. (Lakers Coach Phil Jackson signs with WMA and Original Entertainment) In a nutshell, a leader can be seen as a person or an individual who is inevitably the most important person within the group or organization where he
Organizational transformation, once seldom required, is now required frequently in many organizations. This places increased emphasis on the importance of leaders with transformational skills. The other way in which globalization has impacted leadership is the increased need for "soft" skills. The human element of leadership was virtually irrelevant during the early 20th century, as labor was viewed as little more than a commodity. However -- and in particular in
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