Strengths And Weaknesses Of Leadership

There are a variety of ways to define both leader and leadership. There is not, however, a clear definition of how to become one. There is no set list of mandatory traits, either innate or learned, that a person must embody to be considered successful or proved a failure. What I feel it takes is the right mix of strengths and weaknesses in a given situation to demonstrate effectiveness. No one person has abilities without accompanying deficiencies. It’s all in the way they are balanced. The balance in the way one uses his or hers’ abilities will ultimately determine the type of leadership one has throughout time. To support these claims I will examine a well-known leader throughout the military, General James “Mad Dog” Mattis. This essay

The intention of this paper is to introduce my leadership philosophy. I will start off defining leadership as well as explaining my leadership philosophy. I will then share a summary of an interview with a Squadron Commander about a difficult situation that he needed to use his philosophy to work through and analyze how my philosophy applies to the same situation followed by a brief summary.

“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” John C. Maxwell

Throughout recent history, the definition of leadership has been the subject of a vast number books, articles, and essays. Countless authors have attempted define the ability to lead in a tangible way. They have scrutinized on how one becomes a leader and how one successfully leads. Because the ability to lead is so ambiguous and no one can follow a definable set of steps to become a leader, many authors have use examples of leaders to illustrate their views on the subject. And even in the limited scope of time that is the history of the United States, dozens of men and women have lead Americans through their words, beliefs, and actions. Whether they are appointed leaders such as President George Washington or Thomas Jefferson, or leaders of worthwhile cause such as Susan B. Anthony or Martin Luther King Jr., these leaders provide a blueprint that if examined carefully, can provide useful advice for those aspiring to become great leaders. And for Donald T. Phillips, the American leader whose life “still inspires and moves people from all walks of life” and provides an example of leadership that is without equal is Abraham Lincoln (Phillips). In his book Lincoln on Leadership: Executive Strategies for Tough Times Phillips provides 15 overarching leadership qualities that Lincoln followed all throughout his life. By describing how Lincoln exhibited each of these qualities thoroughly, Phillips then relates how potential leaders today can duplicate those same qualities in their

Leadership goals should always contain methods of a continuous process of learning through education, training, and individual experiences that help ensure that the message will be communicated in a confident and competent manner when leading troops. Soldiers tend to follow leaders that demonstrate and live the Army values, while displaying their confidence in every decision that affects change. Leaders are not born as organizational or tactical leaders; but grown by their genetic determinism, which is inside and the characteristics they work toward; that mold is which type leader they will become. Not just anyone can lead; you must have the desire to lead, be willing to make the commitment to being a leader, and prepare yourself properly, then you have the desire to become a leader. (Fulton, 1995).

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

As an officer in the United States Army, it has been imperative for me to understand every facet of leadership and why it remains important to be an effective leader. During this course, I have learned some valuable lessons about myself as a leader and how I can improve on my leadership ability in the future. The journal entries along with the understanding of available leadership theories have been an integral part of my learning during this course. For all of the journals and assessments that I completed, I feel it has given me a good understanding of my current leadership status and my future potential as a leader. All of the specific assessments looked at several areas in regards to leadership; these assessments covered several

'Restorative' describes people who are adept with dealing with problems. The nursing profession is, more often than not, stressful and easily prone to conflicts both between staff and between the patients themselves. Dealing with these problems involves tremendous patience and problem solving. It goes back to my other characteristic of 'harmony' where I am involved with listening to the patient and sorting out their various concerns.

These cases are based on the leadership and actions of going to war of two past presidents George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush. Salacuse describes and contrast the leadership that both presidents executed, and explains why one Bush was successful while the other failed. From these cases Salacuse identifies three lessons on leading leaders. First, “leadership is not a matter of position but of relationship” (as cited in Malacuse, 2006, p. 13). Leaders must have someone following to be a leader, however, individuals choose if they want to follow based on the relationship with the leader (p. 13). Second, relationship are built on one-on-one encounters (p. 13). Thirdly, “…is the importance of understanding and giving deference to the interest of the person you lead (as cited in Malacuse, 2006, 13). Malacuse concludes the chapter with five lessons for leading leaders. The fives leassons are: 1) Work at leading, 2) Build trust through relationship, 3) Clear communication, learn to speak, 4) One-on-one personal communication, 5) Know followers interest (pp. 16-17).

“Businesses us the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis to determine the internal and external factors that directly influence their operations” (Marquis, 2016). This is what this analysis brought to mind. The following is the results from my assessment. The purpose of this assessment is to provide insight on both leadership strengths and impotencies.

In chapter two of the textbook, Introduction to Leadership, I was introduced to leadership traits, and asked to identify my specific traits and determine my leadership strengths and leadership weaknesses. There is an extensive list of traits which contribute to the leadership process and effectiveness of the leaders, however, six are considered to be key traits: intelligence, confidence, charisma, determination, sociability, and integrity. (Northouse, 2015) Of these six traits, I consider intelligence, charisma, determination, sociability, and integrity to be my strongest, and while I am very confident, I tend to question myself occasionally. Therefore, I would consider confidence to be my weakest trait on the list.

Beginning in boot camp and continuing throughout my career, I’ve seen the Coast Guard promote the leadership model to be: “You” influencing “Others” to achieve a “Goal”. With all the different ways leadership can be defined, this simplistic model which has been permanently engrained in my thinking definition still rings true for me. As such, when defining my own personal definition of leadership, I align it to this same model. More specifically, while I support the fact that leadership involves influencing others to achieve a common end I propose that is not the whole story. Leaders must not be stagnant in their vision and must lend themselves to the possibility they may have to adjust their leadership styles depending on the goal. The best leaders are the ones that understand their own personality traits as well as those traits of the people they are trying to lead.

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

“Anyone can steer the ship, but it takes a Leader to chart the course” (Maxwell viii). Leadership. This concept has created many debates throughout history. What does it take to be classified as a great leader? What intangible characteristics are inherent to the great leaders of our time? Why have so many failed when put into a leadership role? During my 27 plus years in the military and over 20 years in the construction industry, I have been exposed to a wide variety of leaders and their leadership style. These examples have demonstrated to me that there are just as many bad as good. My journey down this path of growth has enlightened my awareness of realization that not everyone can be a leader and it takes hard work to be a successful leader. Never in my wildest dreams would I have envisioned where I am today.

Traditionally, leadership has been difficult to define and to understand due to the different eras of leadership which shared strengths and weaknesses. It is important to realize that leadership has been viewed from a classical approach that has to deal with a position of authority in order to make decisions and solve issues. For instance, individuals as Adolf Hitler, exercised a classical leadership approach while utilizing his position authority to organize and direct control to manipulate outcomes. Conversely, basketball Coach Krzyzewski share effective leadership strategies through a post-industrial view for all leaders responsible for the development of cohesive teams focusing on collaboration, elements of power, facilitation, and empowerment as influence. It afford opportunities to seek out mutual commitment within teams in order to achieve success. In the first place, Coach K establishes that the classical leadership approach no longer provides effective results.