Leadership from an Islamic Perspective

Leadership has gained the attention of researches across the world there are several terms defining the word Leadership. There is not a set definition of the word leadership it has been changed over the years as the world’s views of leadership have changed. There are numerous leadership theories that studied the different traits or behavior of a leader. Situational Approach is a widely used theory to help leader be effective in different situations. This approach has been revised several times and has been implemented in leadership courses. Leader must be flexible when using the situational approach. The needs of the followers in situations are going to determine how the leader will take their course

Leadership is defined as a relationship between an individual and a group of followers in which goal attainment of the group is influenced by the leader. Leadership in general said to be an art, which can

Leadership is the ultimate form of service; it requires leaders to devote much of themselves to deal with the responsibilities that come with the title. They not only serve as normal members, but they must make important decisions with their followers’ interests

Leadership has been described as the “process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task”...

Leadership lacks a universal definition, there are too many variables that make each situation unique and different. Kouzes and Posner’s book, the Truth About Leadership, takes an alternative approach, stating ten actualities that exemplify proper leadership. By staying constant to these truths, there is opportunity for individual customization of a leadership definition or style best suited to oneself.

Leader is a person with dedicate knowledge that manages to achieve a certain goal. Leader is the core of any Leadership with all other subordinating factors. Leaders, followers, goal, environmental context and cultural values all are component that come together to make up a leadership (Robert M McManus). Imam Ali ibn abi Talib is one of the Islamic founders and he is considered the leader after the prophet Mohammad. Ali ibn Abi Talib is considered to one of the important leaders because he spread Islam all over the world and he stood up for the poor people. Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib is an ideal example of a leader where he remained until his last moment of his life in supporting and protecting Islam. He is considered to be a directive leader

KHAN, D. A. (n.d.). ISLAMIC LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLES. Retrieved from Islamic Research Foundation International, Inc.: http://www.irfi.org/articles/articles_1401_1450/islamic_leadership_principles.htm

Leadership is a term on which no one can develop a mutual consensus as it carries a different meaning for ach individual. Some people may consider a person as their leader who is capable of taking them away from hardships, some people may consider the one as their leader who is quite charismatic and can show them dreams of a bright future or some people may consider that man as a leader who can make them progress by devising wise strategies for them etc. There is, somehow, something very common in all the perspectives that are the philosophy behind the definition, which is related to choosing a best of the best person as their leader. Nobody wants to have a person as his leader who doesn’t have knowledge of the needs and aspirations of his

Leadership is a collection process in which an individual uses to bring together and manage resources to achieve the specific aim; an effective leadership has a direct Impact on the followers in the right manner to achieve desired organization goals. Each leadership style has different effects on performance and effectiveness of the organization. Leaders come up with plans, look for resources and allocate those resources. Today, most people are writing and seeking to understand the practices and concepts of leadership. There are many reasons for the strong popularity of the topic which include groups, organizations and people who are faced with many changes than before. Understanding and navigating through the

Broadly speaking, “leadership” can be defined as a process in which an individual influences a group of individuals to work towards the achievement of a common goal or vision (Lussier, 1996; Northouse, 2001; Stogdill, 1974). Moreover, Bush and Coleman (2000) note that since most of what has been written about leadership draws upon western cultural models, it should be borne in mind that leadership might well be viewed differently in different cultures.

Leadership is a process whereby an individual influences a group of individual to achieve a common goal (pp5). However, there are many different definitions of leadership as there are people who have tried to define it because the word can have different meaning for different people. Leadership is similar to the management in many ways because they both involve influence, concerned with effective goal and work with people. Leadership helps to produce change and movement by establishing direction, such as creating the vision, clarifying big picture and set strategies. Similarly, it helps aligning people along with motivating and inspiring them (12)

Islam is probably the most misunderstood and misinterpreted religion in the world. This misfortune can be traced back to the day of crusades when Islam was portrayed as a barbaric and pagan religion in the western society. Unfortunately, this misconception prevailed in the western society and hence Islam became to be associated with various misconceptions, false stories, and biased accounts that became part of scholarly articles and "authentic" histories.

First of all, according to Matthew R. Fairholm, (Fairholm, 2004) there are two different approaches to studying leadership. First one and the most popular is a focus on the leader, suggesting that the best way to understand leadership is when we studying concrete individuals in concrete situation. In addition, supporters of this method mainly focus on the qualities, behaviours of those who state to be or are given the title of leader. (Fairholm, 2004). In other words,

Taking a deep further look at the definition, we can consider Leadership as ‘the process of influencing an organized group’, engaging them to maximize group effectiveness, ‘towards the accomplishment of a goal’. (Hughes, Ginnet & Curphy 2015, p. 5)

One of the many reasons that led to the progress of societies is the existence of a wise leadership that prepares plans, gathers ideas, and information, comparisons and studies, these measures require time and effort of the decision makers to cooperate with those who have the experience, and adequate study to make practical and theoretical tests. My point of view about the general concept of leadership and its definition: I 've read for many of the intellectuals and the military instructors and I’ve concluded that the broader definition of leadership is: "the ability to influence the behaviour of a group by a person in whom several conditions are met, including knowledge, experience, personality traits, and the ability to work on fulfilling the required task with resolve and conviction" ( 1). In my view, this is true if there is a necessity to form a strict plan by a leader to get the best results. "Leadership is basically a social role to be played by an individual who’s characterised by the previous qualities when in interaction with the other members of the group, and this role must be done by the person who has the ability to influence others, and guide their behaviour in order to achieve the goal(s) of the group" (2). (1) + (2) Introduction of a research by Mr. Ahmed Assaf (leadership skills & leader’s characteristics )on the writer’s web site in the World Wide Web, which is derived from the following references: (A) profiles in the art of leadership: J.corthoa.