Leadership, traits and skills Leadership - Essay Example

Traits Approach The trait approach, according to Northouse p.19), indicates that a person must possess certain qualities in order to be a leader. These traits include intelligence, self-confidence, determination, integrity, and sociability. All of these traits are positively and directly related to leadership. The higher the intelligence, the stronger is the leadership. The more the leader is assured of his competencies, the brighter his vision is. He has successful leadership if he is determined toward the acquisition of organizational goals and objectives.

Other important traits of a leader include extraversion, conscientiousness, openness, and low neuroticism. In my organization, our managers show sufficient integrity in their behavior. For example, they conduct regular performance appraisals by reviewing employees’ performance regularly, and giving them sincere feedback. They have enough self-esteem in that they believe in their ideas and capabilities. For example, they are able to stick to their decisions, without letting others overpower them.

They are extremely intelligent in understanding situations and acting accordingly. For example, they quickly understand conflicts and reach the best solution. However, the leadership is not extraverted. This enables the leader to maintain a distance between him and employees. For example, he does not attend parties that employees throw at their homes. He has enough conscientiousness. He is very considerate toward ethical and legal issues of a situation. For example, he always pays salaries in time.

The chief executive, who is actually the leader, is not open to experience. He is shy of trying new things. For example, he sticks to his technique of communicating face-to-face with employees rather than trying video conferencing. Skills Approach “The skills approach takes a leader-centered perspective on leadership”, says Northouse (2010, p.39). The focus shifts from personal fixed qualities to capabilities that are learnt and developed from experience and over a period of time. This approach focuses on the knowledge that is gained by leaders to prove themselves as effective leaders.

The basic administrative skills that come under this category include technical, human, and conceptual skills (Northouse, 2010, p.39). Technical skills include the competencies gained in a certain area of expertise, such as computer knowledge. Human skills include skills about dealing with people. Conceptual skills are about conceptualizing leadership in terms of learnt competencies. Other skills that are important, as described in the skill model (Northouse, 2010, p.44) are: problem-solving skills, social judgment skills, and gaining a significant knowledge base.

My organization gives very much importance to the skills approach, and maintains all measures that promote skill of the workforce. The leader shows his need to become authoritative, powerful, and influential. For example, he wants to make his voice heard in front of opposition, and wants to be given value. He is very much achievement oriented. He seeks to achieve his goals through hard work and endurance, and also arranges for suitable training to promote the enhancement of skill in other employees.

He looks forward to upward progress in his job. He also needs affiliation in that he tries to develop friendly work relations, despite being an introvert. He urges to keep workplace environment happy. For example, he regularly calls all employees individually to himself, listens to their work and family problems, and tries to solve them. Leadership Leadership is the supremacy to stimulate people by words, actions and deeds using vision, faith and honesty. Leadership involves fairly inspiring others to follow guidelines which should consist of both bureaucratic (procedural) and substantive (character-based) aspects.

The procedural dimension of leadership includes problem-solving and decision-making practice within the circle of ethics. The substantive aspect of leadership includes knowledge, tough standards and guts to pursue directions regardless of opposition. “Ethical leadership predicts outcomes such as perceived effectiveness of leaders, followers’ job satisfaction and dedication, and their willingness to report problems to management”, affirm Brown, Travino and Harrison (2005). If the leadership is thriving, capable and bright, then the outcome is more prolific than anticipated.

The accomplishment of an organization depends mainly on value-based actions and decisions. The goal of leadership is to make the new comers follow the way the leaders work and behave in the organization. The leaders should show such an attitude at the workplace that would inspire others to follow their directions. Leadership is different from management. “Whereas the study of leadership can be traced back to Aristotle, management emerged around the turn of the 20th century with the advent of our industrialized society”, writes Northouse (2010, p.9). Management involves planning and organizing activities and objectives; while, leadership involves influencing others and creating a vision (Northouse, 2010, p.11). References Brown, M.E., Travino, L.K., & Harrison, D.A. (2005).

Ethical leadership: A social learning perspective for construct development and testing. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 97(2), pp. 117-134. Northouse, P. (2010). Leadership Theory and Practice. London: SAGE Publications.