Being a leader, I have been asked several times my thoughts on what makes a good leader. I believe that leadership is the way of influencing people by providing guidance, motivation and direction. However, my definition of leadership does not end with that sentence. Consequently, there also has to be a sense of purpose conveyed to the subordinates. Without this sense of purpose, deadlines may be missed and missions may not be accomplished. Each subordinate should have a feeling that they are part of the team and without their part, the entire team may fail. Furthermore, the leader has to build a sense of trust with all of his or her subordinates. There are a lot of contributors that will aid in building a solid foundation where trust will not falter.
Additionally, leaders need to have a deep sense of honesty and take responsibility for all their actions whether good or bad. Also, a leader needs to have a sense of compassion and create an environment that is conducive to fairness. A couple of questions that I sometimes ask myself help to solidify myself as a leader. I ask, “Which path am I sending my subordinates down? Will their lives be better or worse under the direction that I am giving to them?” By asking myself those questions, I am able to better stay focused on their needs. Also, I am able to check my leadership tactics and refine them when necessary. I always, have to remember that without their support, I am lacking as their leader. Many organizational
Those who show good leadership share qualities such as strong integrity, consideration of others, and the ability to lead by example. A good leader will know what’s wrong and what’s right. When leading others, they choose the option that is morally acceptable. A good leader has been taught what is right and wrong and doesn’t choose to do what’s wrong when leading others. A good leader thinks of others when making their decisions. They consider what will be best for the group when
A leader must be able to lead others, build trust, extend influence beyond the Chain of Command, lead by example, and communicate effectively. The ability to develop creates a positive environment, fosters Espirit de Corps, prepares self, develops others, and are stewards of the profession. Last but not least, effective leadership must achieve results.
To be a good leader you need the desire, willpower and then go through the never ending process of training, education and learning from experience.
An effective leader must be able to uphold their values against adversity, adapt and overcome, and act in the best interest of their Soldiers. The excerpt “I know my Soldiers and I will always place their needs above my own” from the NCO Creed really speaks to what a leader is. Authenticity is key – showing subordinates and peers that you are not without fault and that just because you are in a leadership position does not mean you cannot learn from others. Leaders with this mentality increase trust and morale in their respective units; thus increasing work productivity and giving their subordinates a greater sense of job satisfaction.
(2016). p.33). There are many traits that a leader must have to be able to be successful. Three that come to mind are trustworthy or honest, motivated, and knowledgeable. Ever leader needs to be honest and have the trust of those who are following them. This is essential for any plan or idea to be carried out steadily. Also, open communication cannot happen if one does not trust their leader. Next, a leader must be motivated and have energy. If a leader is not motivated, those who are following them are also not going to be motivated either. Someone has to be able to push others to keep up the hard work to get to where they need to be. Lastly, a leader needs to be knowledgeable. At work, often when faced with something that I do not know the answer to, I go to my charge nurse who is very knowledgeable on almost all situations that may arise. If lacking any vital knowledge, staff under that leader will not have anyone to go to in times of need. This leads to the follower being lost and not knowing what the next step is in their situation. All of these traits are what I like to see in a leader in my work
What are the most important qualities an effective leader should have? The willingness to listen others ideas and implement them with their own interpersonal skills. A leader must be willing to accept their own faults and learn from them. An active leader is willing to change their methods of leadership in order to grow as a person. A leader puts themselves on the same level as their followers because that way, people are able to share their own opinions without the fear of rejection. There is courage, as well as the resolution to move forward. Leaders have the characteristic that give the people around them the will to succeed. As a teacher, I understand that some people want to whole heartedly improve, and as an educator I must be willing to do everything I can to push that
An effective leader must have certain characteristics in order to be remembered, and to have their legacy live after they die. While anyone can be a leader, leadership is a quality that requires much more than the ability to make orders and expect people to follow. In order to be a successful leader, a person must gain trust in his or her followers. Obviously, a leader is nothing without followers, so leaders must gain their followers through trust.
Leadership is defined as ‘the process in which an individual influences the group of individuals to attain a common goal’. The goal is attained by mutual cooperation and cohesive behavior. A leader infuses a sense of positivity and directs others to reach the specified goal. Therefore for a person to be a successful leader they need to work hard to accomplish their goal and influence others to do the same. For greatest success and communication with their hierarchy they must be trustworthy and responsible. In addition, the person needs to be nice and approachable so that they can interact with others and are as approachable as possible. Although a leader must be approachable they still need to
A well-researched knowledge-base is a necessity. Organization is also key to being a leader. A leader must plan thoroughly to properly direct the group. Even though careful planning is crucial, a leader must remain flexible when problems arise. Remaining humble is also important. Once a leader raises her/himself above the group, s/he will lose respect and will be seen as a ruler - and not a leader. A leader must see eye-to-eye with the group to retain an effective role. To manage the needs of the group, a leader must be trusting enough to allow others to help. If a leader makes all the decisions without the group’s input, or does not allow the group an active role, the group will no longer agree with the leader and will not feel valued. The leader’s effectiveness and respect form the group will the drop. The group must also trust the leader to make wise decisions. Despite the fact that these qualities are mostly seen when leading a cause, they can be extended to other roles of leadership.
A good leader must be intelligent, have enough experience and have a good nature. He or she should have a very good understanding of others and himself or herself. The ideal leader should be able to exercise good judgment. He or she should be sensitive enough to understand the problems of others. On
A leader must have a high commitment level to the organization, the ability to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the personnel they work with to develop effective teams, and the ability to communicate effectively to avoid misconceptions. A leader must care about and support their members in ways that help both the member and the organization as a whole. As Lt. Col. Matt Joganichs’ uncle stated to him prior to administering the commissioned officer’s oath, “make sure you take care of your people. If you do that, they’ll take care of you.”1 To me, taking care of and supporting your member’s means to ensure people have a positive work environment, they have access to the training the need to perform their jobs, are able to provide input to policies that effect the organization, and that there are procedures in-place to ensure people are being treated fairly. My leadership philosophy was developed to encompass these leadership traits to provide a solid foundation for the organization to succeed. Whenever a leadership philosophy is developed it is always good to perform continual analysis of it for improvements. One of the best ways to improve upon your leadership philosophy is to discuss leadership challenges with those that are more experienced than you in
A leader must be strong. People need to be able to look up to a leader. They also need to be able to enforce their leadership so that others cannot out voice them. A good leader needs to be the example to follow.
Qualities of a Leader Everyone has their own ideas of what makes a leader, as I do. A leader is capable of inspiring, motivating and persuading people around them to commit willingly to work towards a specific idea. A leader has a clear vision and is able to see where they want to go and are able to communicate it clearly to their team. Some people say that some leaders are ‘naturally born’ while others state that being a leader does not come naturally, but can develop through encouragement from others, being inspired and by means of practice.
A leader needs to “believe” in oneself and have the confidence that whatever you say will excite and what you do can motivate others. You must be optimistic about what you do, do have some relevance for being in existence. Believe it or not, “leadership begins with you”.
From research we see that there are many qualities that people value in leaders. Some of these qualities include: having high standards, supportive, inquisitive, involved, honest and having integrity. When I think about leadership I think of a person who is self-aware and always striving for improvement. To be a good leader you need to know how your personal biases may impact decision making in various situations. Bias or values can effect how you interact with those you come in contact with on a daily basis. A good leader can set the tone for students, staff, and parents by being consistent and clear in thoughts and in actions. The leader is the foundation of the building.