We talk about sacrifices. We talk about the sense of mission accomplishment. But the truth is that we know very little of leadership and we are often at a loss when it comes to getting the job done right. Making personal sacrifices is necessary, whether we want to admit it or not. The mission isn’t one specific goal but rather a group of priorities, some more important than others, but mutable and occasionally conflicting. Can organizational development become a priority for the warrior-minded leader?The warrior-minded leader must always keep the main mission in mind, know which priorities and goals are allowed to change. Leadership is all about making those changes in a timely, effective fashion – without affecting the goals that are crucial. The best practices can be discovered in time and human resources are always available. One should take into consideration the risks but also the potential changes that can be made to improve leadership. Emphasis must also be placed on the importance of doing things the right way. The Warrior Ethos is one of the most important parts of the mission, the set of principles being applied not only for personal but also for organizational development.Courage has been a creed for many generations and also for many warriors. Is courage that important in today’s business world? One has to learn to overcome fear; make decisions and take actions that will garner successful outcomes. Running a business starts and ends with leadership. Fear has nothing to do with being a good leader and discovering the best practices. One should learn how to control emotions and move forward with a clear sense of purpose. Courage has a cost, be it in lost personal time, changed working conditions. The benefit, however, is the resulting team is a far stronger and effective performer, and far likely to collectively overcome extreme difficulties. Discipline has been long mentioned among the principles of the Warrior Ethos. One should develop the ability to take constant action, to not just lie back and wait for things to happen, but to operate within strict parameters to pursue a desired outcome. Leadership is based on many things, as the Warrior Ethos will teach you, but it seems that discipline is one of the most important. For a warrior leader, rules, limits and parameters exist for good reason, though often not self-serving ones. As a general rule, having a warrior mentality means having the ability to commit to action. The best practices are far away from falling prey to temptation, they rely on using all available human resources and striving to achieve the best possible organizational development. Even when there’s nothing to do but wait, it’s possible to prepare for contingencies, plan the next steps or refine skills. The stress can be overwhelming but not as overwhelming as being unprepared at a critical moment. By: Britney Simpson
Thursday, 25 June 2009
What Makes A Good Leader: 5 Vital Traits A Good Leader Must Possess
1) Teamwork
A leader might be the head of the organization or team, but he or she cannot function well without teamwork. Unfortunately, a lot of leaders let their position get into their heads. They move without consulting the rest of the team.
What makes a good leader is a sense of teamwork. Although you might be the one calling the shots, you can’t completely disregard the people you’re responsible for.
2) Strength
Another important factor of what makes a good leader is strength. Whether it’s strength in making a decision, or strength in overcoming challenges, a good leaders knows not to show weakness.
A good leader doesn’t cower from the enemy. He or she doesn’t fear challenges or obstacles; but instead, he or she deals with them head-on.
3) Good Example
A good leader sets a good example for his or her subordinates. If you’re very particular about tardiness, then you have to make sure that you’re always on time, if not earlier than the others.
If you have strong feelings against cheating, then you yourself should not be tempted to cheat. Set a good example for the people in your team. Actions speak louder than words.
4) Responsibility
A good leader takes responsibility. He or she doesn’t try to figure out a way to escape the mess that might have been created. Instead, a good leader faces the issue and deals with the problems as they come.
Being responsible also means avoiding disaster and making the right decisions. Keep in mind that you’re accountable for the rest of your team.
5) Quick Thinking
Quick thinking is an essential leadership skill. Most of the time, this is what saves the day. A good leader must know how to act swiftly and must encourage quick thinking among his or her people.
The success of a group has a lot to do with both the leader and the team. It’s never just about one person only. As long as you remember what your goal is, you’ll be alright. And these additional tips on what makes a good leader will only help you become a better person.
A leader might be the head of the organization or team, but he or she cannot function well without teamwork. Unfortunately, a lot of leaders let their position get into their heads. They move without consulting the rest of the team.
What makes a good leader is a sense of teamwork. Although you might be the one calling the shots, you can’t completely disregard the people you’re responsible for.
2) Strength
Another important factor of what makes a good leader is strength. Whether it’s strength in making a decision, or strength in overcoming challenges, a good leaders knows not to show weakness.
A good leader doesn’t cower from the enemy. He or she doesn’t fear challenges or obstacles; but instead, he or she deals with them head-on.
3) Good Example
A good leader sets a good example for his or her subordinates. If you’re very particular about tardiness, then you have to make sure that you’re always on time, if not earlier than the others.
If you have strong feelings against cheating, then you yourself should not be tempted to cheat. Set a good example for the people in your team. Actions speak louder than words.
4) Responsibility
A good leader takes responsibility. He or she doesn’t try to figure out a way to escape the mess that might have been created. Instead, a good leader faces the issue and deals with the problems as they come.
Being responsible also means avoiding disaster and making the right decisions. Keep in mind that you’re accountable for the rest of your team.
5) Quick Thinking
Quick thinking is an essential leadership skill. Most of the time, this is what saves the day. A good leader must know how to act swiftly and must encourage quick thinking among his or her people.
The success of a group has a lot to do with both the leader and the team. It’s never just about one person only. As long as you remember what your goal is, you’ll be alright. And these additional tips on what makes a good leader will only help you become a better person.
Leadership Traits Common To All Leaders
Leaders possess the ability to accept comments, ideas, and thoughts from all points of view equally. Usually a true leader will not have made up her mind until she hears all sides of the argument. And a top-notch leader gives equal weight to all opinions. A good example of this behavior is President Barack Obama who spent the first few weeks of his presidency wooing the Republicans in the hopes of opening a strong dialogue. He was interested in hearing their opinions and encouraged conversation.
Honesty
One of the most important leadership traits is honesty. No one can learn to trust and follow an individual if they are untruthful, deceptive or misleading. A good leader is sincere in all he does and says and quite open in his actions. There is no sneakiness or mystery about a good leader.
Bravery
Bravery is another very important leadership trait. You can think of many a great military leader who distinguished himself with acts of great courage remaining calm in the face of life-threatening danger. A good leader is not afraid to move forward regardless of the stumbling block or obstacles that might appear in her path. In addition by using another of the leadership traits, inspiration, a good leader can encourage her followers to surmount all difficulties and follow her into the “belly of the beast” and come out the other side triumphant.
Intelligence and Ability
These two leadership traits often go hand in hand. Effective leaders prepare themselves before attempting a task. They learn all they can about the assignment or goal as well as all the steps to complete the task or achieve the goal. In addition many strong leaders have been trained, often for years, in their field of leadership. The ability to effectively complete a task or reach a goal is the result of a leader's intelligence, training and experience. No top leader will go into a situation unprepared.
Versatility
An effective leader can easily adapt to a changing situation. Using a strong imagination the leader is able to quickly alter plans and behaviors and usually in an innovate manner to move around or over obstacles to achieve success. In addition a good leader is able to adapt is mannerism to the individual personalities of his followers to better inspire, encourage and motivate. A good leader knows what works for one follower might not work for another and can adapt quickly. A prime example of versatility is your favorite teacher. Usually this individual was able to alter his teaching methods to help you learn in the manner that suited you most. He also encouraged you to think for yourself and showed incredible patience while you worked through a problem to a successful solution.
While some of us might be born with a propensity towards these individual traits any of us can be an effective leader. Acknowledge the traits that followers seek in their leaders and work to adopt these traits as your own.
Honesty
One of the most important leadership traits is honesty. No one can learn to trust and follow an individual if they are untruthful, deceptive or misleading. A good leader is sincere in all he does and says and quite open in his actions. There is no sneakiness or mystery about a good leader.
Bravery
Bravery is another very important leadership trait. You can think of many a great military leader who distinguished himself with acts of great courage remaining calm in the face of life-threatening danger. A good leader is not afraid to move forward regardless of the stumbling block or obstacles that might appear in her path. In addition by using another of the leadership traits, inspiration, a good leader can encourage her followers to surmount all difficulties and follow her into the “belly of the beast” and come out the other side triumphant.
Intelligence and Ability
These two leadership traits often go hand in hand. Effective leaders prepare themselves before attempting a task. They learn all they can about the assignment or goal as well as all the steps to complete the task or achieve the goal. In addition many strong leaders have been trained, often for years, in their field of leadership. The ability to effectively complete a task or reach a goal is the result of a leader's intelligence, training and experience. No top leader will go into a situation unprepared.
Versatility
An effective leader can easily adapt to a changing situation. Using a strong imagination the leader is able to quickly alter plans and behaviors and usually in an innovate manner to move around or over obstacles to achieve success. In addition a good leader is able to adapt is mannerism to the individual personalities of his followers to better inspire, encourage and motivate. A good leader knows what works for one follower might not work for another and can adapt quickly. A prime example of versatility is your favorite teacher. Usually this individual was able to alter his teaching methods to help you learn in the manner that suited you most. He also encouraged you to think for yourself and showed incredible patience while you worked through a problem to a successful solution.
While some of us might be born with a propensity towards these individual traits any of us can be an effective leader. Acknowledge the traits that followers seek in their leaders and work to adopt these traits as your own.
Wednesday, 24 June 2009
What Is Leadership?
While there are numerous definitions of leadership what it boils down to is a leader effects directed change through a group of people that have given that person their complete trust. The leader earns the trust of his followers based on several character traits that foster the trust. So to answer the question, what is leadership is a bit more complicated than a simple single sentence definition.
Leadership vs. Management
Are a leader and a manager synonymous? Not necessarily. While a manager can be a leader, not all leaders are managers. And the definition of a manager is quite different from our working definition of a leader. A manager tends to work to preserve the status quo. Think of your manager at work. She usually is there to make sure the assigned work gets done. She does not foster change and can sometimes work to prevent change so as not to upset routine. A leader promotes change and moves his followers in a distinct direction. A true leader listens to the ideas and opinions of his followers and happily embraces them. Managers are rarely pleased to listen to underlings’ ideas. Instead a manger is focused on production and not imagination.
Can You Learn Leadership
Sure there are people out there with natural leadership abilities. But now that you have an idea of what is leadership you also know that leadership can be learned. You can be a top-notch leader by gaining both knowledge and experience in the field you wish to lead. And by maintaining your integrity and working to be open and fair minded to your followers you will find leadership is not such a difficult trait to acquire after all.
The Followers
Do not fail to forget that leadership is a group effort. A leader cannot lead without followers. So followers must be included in your definition of leadership. Becoming a good leader is not a personal effort. You cannot become an effective leader on your own. Remember an effective leader garners the trust of his followers and to earn that trust you must behave with openness, fairness and be an inspiration to those around you. A great way to answer that question, what is leadership is to look at one of the world’s greatest leaders. Martin Luther King Jr. using examples of non-violence and inspiring words of equality changed the segregation laws of the United States and changed the future of black people in America. He was not a manager or anyone’s boss. He was a simple man with a vision who possesses integrity, honesty and the ability to inspire people.
Leadership is the ability to inspire and move a group of people towards a unified goal. Leadership is the ability to garner trust and faith from a group of people through acts of integrity, honesty and fair-mindedness. Leadership can be innate or learned. Anyone can become an effective leader with a little hard work.
Leadership vs. Management
Are a leader and a manager synonymous? Not necessarily. While a manager can be a leader, not all leaders are managers. And the definition of a manager is quite different from our working definition of a leader. A manager tends to work to preserve the status quo. Think of your manager at work. She usually is there to make sure the assigned work gets done. She does not foster change and can sometimes work to prevent change so as not to upset routine. A leader promotes change and moves his followers in a distinct direction. A true leader listens to the ideas and opinions of his followers and happily embraces them. Managers are rarely pleased to listen to underlings’ ideas. Instead a manger is focused on production and not imagination.
Can You Learn Leadership
Sure there are people out there with natural leadership abilities. But now that you have an idea of what is leadership you also know that leadership can be learned. You can be a top-notch leader by gaining both knowledge and experience in the field you wish to lead. And by maintaining your integrity and working to be open and fair minded to your followers you will find leadership is not such a difficult trait to acquire after all.
The Followers
Do not fail to forget that leadership is a group effort. A leader cannot lead without followers. So followers must be included in your definition of leadership. Becoming a good leader is not a personal effort. You cannot become an effective leader on your own. Remember an effective leader garners the trust of his followers and to earn that trust you must behave with openness, fairness and be an inspiration to those around you. A great way to answer that question, what is leadership is to look at one of the world’s greatest leaders. Martin Luther King Jr. using examples of non-violence and inspiring words of equality changed the segregation laws of the United States and changed the future of black people in America. He was not a manager or anyone’s boss. He was a simple man with a vision who possesses integrity, honesty and the ability to inspire people.
Leadership is the ability to inspire and move a group of people towards a unified goal. Leadership is the ability to garner trust and faith from a group of people through acts of integrity, honesty and fair-mindedness. Leadership can be innate or learned. Anyone can become an effective leader with a little hard work.
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