John Quincy Adams, the sixth President of the United States, once said, “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” This is how I see leadership as well. It is not about proving you are the best, controlling others, or even winning a race. The meaning of leadership, at its core, is having the ability to turn followers into strong leaders. This is how truly great things can be accomplished. John Quincy Adams had this ability, turning one of his followers and proteges, Abraham Lincoln, into perhaps one of the greatest and most inspiring leaders this nation ever saw. A true leader, one who inspires others, will embody the three most important qualities of a leader: confidence, vision and integrity.
First and foremost, confidence must be at the head of any leadership style. Without confidence, nearly all other great qualities of a leader are rendered impossible. Without confidence, one will inevitably struggle to share their vision, exhibit what integrity truly looks like, or challenge popularly held beliefs. Furthermore, in order to attract followers, one has to exhibit that they are confident in their
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Integrity creates a standard for performance and sets a precedent for doing things the right way. Even if a leader possesses supreme confidence and an outstanding vision, their goals will inevitably fall to pieces without integrity at the forefront of their leadership. People can be successful taking short-cuts by being dishonest and taking advantage of others up to a certain point. If leaders do not put a strong emphasis on integrity and creating a standard for how things are to be done, one of their followers will eventually begin taking short-cuts, and leaders will begin to see their goals fall apart as lack of integrity spreads like a wildfire. For this reason, integrity must be firmly built into and established by all
Being trustworthy is another very good quality of being a good leader. Loyalty is also a great characteristic in a good leader, not only does it implies greatness, but also trusts. Being a good leader isn’t just about how many battles you’ve won, but how much effort is put into your group. General Washington was a good leader because he showed confidence, in his decisions, in his men and when he was battling in Trenton. He showed confidence in his decisions, in the movie, when Washington and his men were sitting at the table they said he was mad because of his choice.
Leadership can be hard to define and it means different things to different people. To me it means being able to create an inspiring vision of the future and help people achieve that vision. It also means being able to help people acquire that vision either directly or indirectly and help them grow.
Integrity is a core character of being a leader. Employees want to know that their leader is worthy of their trust. A leader with integrity will likely be highly respected and withstand the test of time. As described by Dees (2013), “integrity on a higher plane is the seamless integration of faith, family, and profession
I feel that being a leader means having a passionate vision, and sharing it with others. Only when you get to inspire your peers, it is possible to share a common goal, you can then direct the efforts and dedication of the entire team. I am a leader on the soccer field. I know what we are all supposed to be doing and I like to give feedback and help teammates improve so we can work better to be stronger on the field. Another way I try to be a leader is at school, I try to help as many people as I can, hoping my assistance makes them feel better.
Being a leader is more than simply holding a leadership position or having the ability to lead. Everyone is capable of being a leader, but not everyone exercises his or her leadership abilities. Each person’s idea of leadership is different. My idea of leadership has developed over time, and being a member of the President’s Leadership Class has helped me develop my philosophy of leadership further than what it was two months ago. My personal philosophy of leadership is the ability to effect change through leading by example, taking initiative, and encouraging others.
Integrity is more than being honest. Integrity is one of the values employers look for when selecting employees; a person with integrity carries their values with them in everything they do. To act in a manner that is morally and legally right is being a leader or person of integrity. This type of leader is consistent in doing what is right, legally and morally (Dees, 2014). One a person loses their integrity, it is almost impossible to get it back. Linnartz (2012) said integrity can be understood by how well we live and meaningfully connect our values into our daily life and work. Having integrity and having a leadership philosophy in line with good personal values will improve the relationship a leader has with colleagues. Having a leader that lacks integrity is a recipe for workplace chaos or conflict. According to Schachter (2013), a leader with integrity will walk the talk; their deeds match their words. The leader will be honest, moral, and
Leadership is all about having the right amount of heart and determination to help make a difference in someone’s life. It takes certain qualities to be considered a good leader. A leader should want to help inspire others to make a change and to be the best that they can be. A true leader does not need to feel powerful, instead they empower those around them. Throughout my life I have come across various leaders who have made an impact on my life. It takes a very special person to inspire and touch people’s lives. Leadership is so much deeper than having power and bossing people around.
Now I feel that integrity is a very hard characteristic to keep whole due to the verity of every aspect that is needed to exploit it. The quality of integrity is not a trait that we are born with; rather it is “learned” as we go through life. Not all good leaders have backgrounds that would indicate their level of integrity either. Instead, during the process of learning, integrity of the person is developed. As with fingerprints, no two people have the exact value
Leadership (Rough Draft) Everybody has a different definition for the term leadership. Leadership can mean motivating people to do what is right, or helping others be better persons. All of you here today are interested in being leaders. Your hoping to influence others by becoming leaders in business, education, science, government etc.
According to Webster’s Dictionary, leadership is the power or ability to lead other people, the act or instance of leading. I believe that Leadership is an art, the art to get others to follow and accomplish a common goal or task in a harmonic manner. A leader can be shown in all kinds of shapes and forms. To be a great leader many people believe it consists of modeling the way, inspiring a shared vision, enabling others to act, and encouraging the heart. Over the course of me learning how to become a better leader and being in leadership roles, I’ve learned that all these are very necessary to be a great leader.
My idea of leadership is being able to inspire others, motivate, set a vision, communicate, respect others, and of course, lead by example. A leader must have an honest understanding of who they are, what they know, and what they are capable of. To be a successful leader, you have to be able to convince your followers, not just yourself or your superiors, that you are worthy of being followed. In my opinion, this can build confidence in their followers to have faith in you, in order to be able to lead. I strongly believe that good leaders are made rather, and not born. If you have the desire and willpower, you can become an effective leader. Good leaders are developed through a never ending process of self-study, education, training, and
To me, leadership is more than a title. It is more than just being in charge. Leadership is honestly, learning, listening, and most importantly application. Leadership means going the extra mile or two, doing the right thing no matter who’s looking, staying encouraged and encouraging other even when times are hard and you have every reason to quit. Leadership doesn’t mean you’re rich, well known, liked, or respected but it does mean you are a passionate, caring, and authentic. Leadership means you care about something so much you are willing to risk everything you have for this belief or idea. Leadership is doing whatever you can in your power to make things better for those around you.
Integrity is an essential character quality that defines an effective leader. Integrity is a unifying element; it means more than telling the truth. Integrity is concerned with right and wrong, and adherence to a set of values (Satterlee, 2013, p. 7). In that, integrity speaks on the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles – moral uprightness. A resilient leader should hold steady to their morals when faced with an ethical dilemma. “Leader integrity matters because it plays a significant role in the decision process used by followers when determining who they will follow, who they will trust, to whom they will be loyal and committed, and ultimately for whom they will perform” (Moorman & Grover, 2009, p.107). A leader’s integrity goes beyond their personal character make-up, subordinates will feel a sense of connection to a leader who acts with
Leadership is when a person motivates, inspires, encourages, and directs activates that will lead to reaching goals (Jones and George, 2013). Being a leader is an important role, one can be a leader at their job, and in their home life.
Leadership is something that people are born with. It is an inherent charm and it doesn’t hide even if you want to hide it. There is a leader amongst us and he or she is the one that leads other people to great things by inspiring and motivating people to do good deeds. Leadership has been described as “a process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task”. This way a leader can decide what work goes in and goes out. Good leaders in history have left a mark in walks of life. But great leaders, they’re different. Great leaders have the ability to make each and every individual re-think their life decisions and choices by