What does it mean to be a leader? The American Heritage
Dictionary of the English Language provides many explanations: "a
person or thing that leads; a guide; one in charge or in command of
others." The dictionary proceeds to offer such additional definitions as
"a person who leads others along a way; a guiding or directing head,
as of an army or political group; the head of a political party or
organization; one who has an influential voice in politics." Do these
interpretations fully explain what exactly a leader is? Leadership is
one of the rare and precious human capitals. Without leaders to guide
and shape decisions society would become inert. Within the arena of
leadership there are good leaders, bad leaders, and effective leaders.
All three coexist simultaneously in a world of followers.
A good leader is one who possesses many qualities. First and
most important a good leader is just. To be just is to possess the
ability to recognize what's fair, good, and honest. A good leader
always sets a good example of integrity, morals, and will lead his
followers in accordance with these qualities. In addition to being just a
good leader must be a strong thinker. A strong thinker is able to think
outside of the box. Thinking outside of the box means to approach
decision making in an unconventional manner.
A leader moves people to create that which do not exist yet.
This requires moving from the known into the unknown. This can be
frightening for leader and followers alike. As the pressure mounts, the
leader is increasingly tempted to surrender to the fears. A critical trait
of leadership is courage. The first step in developing the courage to
lead is to become aware of your fears. Self-knowledge precedes self-
management. Only by knowing your fears you can manage your
response to them.
What ultimately carries a leader through the inevitable?
pressures and fears to be faced is an unshakable belief in what is
being created. The leader must be driven by a mission that is deeply
rooted in the leader's values. To lead courageously, discern your
purpose and clarify and commit to your values.
In order to be an effective leader, it is essential for a leader to
be able to communicate and he must be humble. One might question
how these two seemingly different characteristics or qualities relate to
being a leader, but you must note that without these two qualities
effective leadership is lost. Communication is everything. Without it,
nothing would be accomplished. Because of this, it is vital that
anyone assuming a leadership role be able to clearly state the
objectives of the group. Whether it is a top executive guiding his
subordinates or a coach directing his team, he must possess the
ability spell out the intentions of the group to make certain that
everyone is on the same page so that there is no ambiguity. An
effective leader in any discipline knows what to say to motivate his
followers.
A most powerful quality needed in the leadership is "influence."
Influence is a leader's most powerful ally, and most potent adversary,
as it is the foundation of a leader's effectiveness. A leader is nothing
if he or she is unable to influence his or her constituents, but,
provided he or she has the ability to influence the constituents to work
towards the "common task".
There is one thing that you should always remember. A good
leader is an effective leader but an effective leader is not always a
good leader. For instance, George Washington was a good leader
because he had all the qualities that a good leader may possess and
in top of that he had lot of influence on his follower. Unlikely, Adolph
Hitler of Germany even though he wasn't humble but he was a very
influential leader and he also had the ability to communicate. Hitler
wasn't a bad leader, his ideas toward the outside world weren't good
but he is still an effective leader.
When the leadership goes bad? When a leader fails to be
effective he is likely called bad. A good example of a bad leader is
Louis XVI of France. He lost is effectiveness since he was
manipulated by the people around him. He never had the courage to
stand and take to right decision for his people.
In conclusion, the leader should make everyone feel like they
are an integral part of the organization and are empowered to
achieve excellence.