Analysis of John Adams Quincys Quote about a Leader - Essay Example

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” – John Quincy Adams Introduction More often than not, human actions are driven by extrinsic factors rather than the intrinsic ones. The experiences, rewards, appreciations, compensation and inspiration from the external environment trigger their inner selves to engage in actions that are worthwhile. In any social setting, effective leadership is required to inspire and guide the members as they execute various tasks. Leadership is, therefore, an important tool that helps individuals to collectively complete projects. According to Cameron (2011), the art of leadership has many facets that have to be considered and integrated if one is to achieve a glowing leadership tribute. In the contemporary work settings, what fails most of the businesses is not lack of finances or assets. It is the lack of an effective leader who can inspire the followers to visualize success and lead them through as they pursue the company’s goals and objectives. John Adams’ Quincy’s quote indicated above touches on the core of leadership; inspiration. As Adair (2009) puts it, to lead effectively is not just to be at the forefront. Good leadership is evaluated based on various parameters including the ability to inspire and bring out the best from the followers. Quincy says to become a leader one must be able to inspire other people to dream more; to imagine great things. A good leader stimulates their team to set goals and objectives that may sound ridiculous. The leader should instill confidence and a sense of belief amongst the followers. This makes the team develop the resilience that no matter what challenges they go through, they never lose focus and determination on their set goal. For example, in a situation where workers have virtually no substantial plans other than working for the company in the same capacity for years, a Human Resource Manager (leader) may inspire such staffs not only through the words they speak but also actions. In the end, the staff may feel rejuvenated after they are challenged to seek for more out of their lives (Northouse, 2010). Consequently, Quincy talks about learning as an art of demonstrating leadership. A learner is both a learner and a teacher. The behavioral theory of leadership maintains that leadership is as a result of behavior learning. The theory posits that good leaders can be trained and inspired by their mentors (Hoffmann, 2007). The behavioral theory bases its arguments on the ability of humans to learn through observation, hearing or even modeling. This means that leaders can be a source through which followers retrieve skills and knowledge of how to do or how not to do. An influential person with a strong ego is likely to influence learning and behavior change than others. For example, when individuals come to a new firm and do not know how to go about their daily chores since it is a new environment with new people, an effective leader will assist such people to develop confidence, learn and grow to the full potential (Cameron, 2011). The last bit of the quote describes an effective leader as a person who can influence people to ‘become more’. This is to say that the bet leaders bring out the best out of their followers. This task includes building trust between the leader and their followers, pumping courage and confidence, helping the team develop strategy and leading by example in executing tasks aimed at meeting the objectives. To become more is to utilize one’s abilities to enhance personal development. According to Schmid (2006), the difference between leader and manager is that the later focuses entirely on the organization development while former attempts to enhance the personal development of their followers. From the angles of leadership and management, this quote has a great significance. It is very informative on issues to do with leadership. The three parts of the quote describe clearly what it means to be a leader. Inspiration is critical to leadership. Based on the trait theory of leadership, individual characteristics and personality are the cornerstones that hold together effective leadership. Individuals with personalities and traits that make them inspire, educate and bring out the best out of others make good leaders. This is in line with Quincy’s description of who a leader is. For example, warm and down-to-earth persons are more likely to inspire their followers into meeting their goals than the unwelcoming kinds. The two-factor theory of motivation can best be used to understand leadership as portrayed by Quincy in his quote. Individuals are motivated to work more, to dream more and to produce more when they feel satisfied. To make a team to productive, leaders must seek for ways through which their morale can be boosted and maintained. Without this, the workers may not find any reason they should continue giving their all. Regarding Quincy’s quote, a person whose actions (could be motivation system) inspire people to become better are leaders. At work, leaders seek to eliminate those barriers that may hamper efficient and effective performance to allow the followers to have an easy time while delivering their performances (Watt, 2009). For example, the leader resolves conflicts and violence that may bar the team members from effectively interacting for a better performance. Similarly, good leaders understand their team members deeply; they know their weaknesses, strengths, expectations and likely responses. The expectancy theory of motivation argues that people respond in varied ways depending on the expected benefit or detriment. For a leader to make their followers dream big and perform highly, they must define the real expected benefits of the project. Northouse (2010) pinpoints out that people will always work harder when they expect good things in the end. It is not surprising to see a group enthused after the members realize they will be rewarded awesomely after completion. People can ‘become more’ if they believe doing so will benefit them. The leader is tasked with defining what it means to pursue the project they are on and why minimizing or quitting would not be the best option. This theory is important today especially in the work arena because the wave of industrialization has brought up a culture of ‘reward for services’. Everyone is working with an expectation (could be high or low) without which their performances drops (Hoffmann, 2011). Significantly, the quote by Quincy is of concern because it is a practical demonstration that sets a guideline through which effective leadership can be achieved. When leaders start to embrace the spirit of inspiration, most of their traits and behaviors change for the better. For example, a leader who knows they are purposed to transform lives would act in a responsible manner so they can be a role model to their followers. This is, however, not the case with some leaders as they are ironically rebuked by their followers who typically should be their number one supporters. Conclusion In conclusion, leadership intersects through every dimension of the society from work, to social settings to the political arena. It is an important aspect of the human lifestyle that should be embraced. However, as demonstrated, leadership may be a daunting task that comes with overwhelming responsibilities. It is upon the leader to identify and deploy styles and tools that can help them discharge their duties. John Quincy Adams’s quote that describe a leader as one who behavior inspires others has served to demonstrate what it takes to be an inspiration to others. Various theories, as evidenced, support John Quincy’s point view. The behavioral theory of leadership underpins the perception that people learn from actions. This implies leaders should attempt to be good examples to their followers. The trait theory similarly emphasizes on the individual character traits that improve one’s chances of becoming a good leader. All in all, the quote paralleled well with the above discussion on leadership. References Adair, J. E. (2009). How to be a successful leader. London: Pan Books. Cameron, K. (2011). Responsible leadership as virtuous leadership. Journal of Business Ethics, 98(S1), 25-35. doi:10.1007/s10551-011-1023-6 Hoffmann, S. (2007). Classical motivation theories - similarities and differences between them. München: GRIN Verlag GmbH. Northouse, P. G. (2010). Leadership: Theory and practice. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications. Schmid, H. (2006). Leadership styles and leadership change in human and community service organizations. Nonprofit Management Leadership, 17(2), 179-194. doi:10.1002/nml.142 Watt, W. (2009). Facilitative social change leadership theory. Journal of Leadership Education, 8(2), 50-71. doi:10.12806/v8/i2/tf1 Read More