What itTakes to be a Leader - Research Paper Example

? What It Takes to be a Leader Introduction Leadership is all about charisma, courage and conviction. True leaders never exercise any brute power rather they inspire, motivate others and show ways to accomplish the task in hand. Leaders discover their core values after deep deliberations with self and they stick to those core values during thick and thin. While peeping into the history of several great leaders, they are found abound with several discerning traits in their style of functioning. It would be most appropriate to identify the exemplary skills that make one effective and inspiring leader across all cultures, societies and communities. Integrity President Eisenhower once said, "The supreme quality for leadership is unquestionably integrity. Without it, no real success is possible, no matter whether it is on a section gang, a football field, in an army, or in an office" (Forbes, 2013). Leaders with integrity do and preach the same things; no difference is found in their saying and doing. People get inspired only when they see their leaders full of integrity in their day-to-day activities. It needs to be noted that without integrity, leaders cannot create a lasting image on their followers, peers, or subordinates. Courage Primarily, it requires courage to be a leader. Courage does not mean becoming a great warrior in the battlefield that fires enemies but the real courage is to do the right things always regardless of its consequences. Leaders display courage to go against traditional thinking and take risks without jeopardizing their integrity, values and ethics. Moreover, their courage never derives its strength from official power sources. I do not consider Stalin, Mussolini or Hitler as true leaders because their courage emanates from the powers they relish as rulers. That is why they could not make any good for their citizens or humankind. Contrasting this, M. K. Gandhi or Martin Luther King had no powers whatsoever but they turned the tide in their favor by sheer inspirational and motivational abilities. Truly, Gandhi and King were courageous leaders as they faced rulers bare handedly putting their own life at risk. They were charismatic leaders who could garner mass support through non-violent means. Empowerment Empowerment is a buzzword of twenty first century and since industrial revolution, the world has moved a lot – in last hindered years or so using this philosophy. Leaders disseminate power from source to periphery and empower people as per their capacities. This enhances self-respect and dignity of the people. Empowered people tend to work at best of their abilities delivering excellent outcomes. A leader tends to provide direction to the people but never controls and restricts them. At the same time, effective leaders share success with others and take blame of failures on them. In real sense, a true leader becomes a facilitator on the path for smooth trotting. In today's corporate world, young adults, wherever they work, love autonomy and leaders respect it because it is easy to bring organizational change by giving them more operational freedom. Bill Gates says, “As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others” (Pritchard, 2011). How true his statement is! Creative and Visionary Creativity, innovativeness or foresightedness is a specialty of an effective leader. Leaders see the future upheavals much in advance and accordingly, formulate their plan. However, they are found to be hardworking and dedicated but the quality that set them apart is their vision. As the world becomes more technology driven, the leadership will come in the hands of those people who are highly creative. Steve Jobs got a second stint in Apple because he was highly creative in his approach. He designed, built and marketed the products in the ways that many large companies, during the time, could not even think of. Emotional Intelligence Emotional intelligence is a hallmark of true leaders. Intelligence at cognitive level is just not sufficient to make someone an effective leader. On the contrary, the emotional intelligence or high emotional quotient (the measure of emotional intelligence) makes anyone an effective leader. In many instances, the people with high cognitive abilities have been found failing at the leadership role miserably. Though different situations call for different kinds of leadership yet people with empathy, self-regulation, self-awareness and high degree of social skill and motivation are found to be common among all successful leaders. They care and act with kindness, compassion and do not fail to appreciate people giving due importance to them. Goleman's (1995) finding was remarkable in the sense that the emotional intelligence of the business leaders was more prominent surpassing their other skills such as technical abilities and IQ. Currently, emotional intelligence is touted as an essential requirement for becoming an effective leader, especially in the business world. Communication Ability If we examine the world’s greatest leaders, we will find that they all were invariably the excellent communicators. It is not possible to become an effective leader without becoming a great communicator; an effective communication creates an immediate impact on the people. Effective communication sets the ball rolling towards desired objectives. Communication skill, verbal as well as written, is an important element of leader’s cognitive ability that facilitates smooth sailing throughout their lifetime. Seasoned and effective leaders are conscious to even their body language while communicating – not to transmit any ill feeling or mood. Conclusion Apart above skills, leaders exhibit capacity to make changes steadily in the system, and behavior of the people. Outstanding leaders, usually, maintain a fine balance between skills, abilities, traits, behaviors on differing aspects of any situations. Clarity of thoughts is their hallmark. They visualize future through their foresightedness and act accordingly. They exhibit immense confidence in their talks and deeds influencing people to meet their objectives. Effective leaders lead from the front establishing an environment for continuous improvement, as they believe in inculcating a strong commitment and not mere compliance from their followers. Leadership is essentially an influence process motivating and directing people towards desired outcomes and effective leaders keep on exercising their influence through a variety of skills, traits and abilities. References Forbes (2013). Without It, No Real Success is Possible. Retrieved July 26, 2013 from http://www.forbes.com/sites/tykiisel/2013/02/05/without-it-no-real-success-is-possible/ Goleman, D. (2004). What makes a leader? Harvard Business Review. Retrieved July 26, 2013 from http://hbr.org/2004/01/what-makes-a-leader Pritchard, J. P. (2011). Bill Gates: A Biography. Retrieved July 27, 2013 from http://www.hyperink.com/Introduction-b1307a9 Read More