What Makes A Leader?

19). Still a part of the Great Man Leadership era, these trait theories just went a step further in attempting to pinpoint exactly which traits of these “great men” were consistently associated with the leaders, in an effort to more clearly define what a great leader was. This was again a further attempt to be able to identify a leader early on and predict which individuals were born to become leaders. It is thought that a major flaw with these theories was the failure to account for external factors, such as the environment in which the individuals were brought up in, as well as the situations they experienced (Horner, 2007, p. 270). Still today we do continue to study the characteristics of leaders in order to better define and understand what makes someone a good leader.

Have you ever been in a situation where you had to take charge, and take on leadership roles in a short period of time? Some people may say that not everyone can be leader. Some also believe that leaders are born with the necessary qualities, which make them successful as a leader. Others believe that leadership, like many other character traits, can be learned and developed through life. The debate depends on how you define leadership, if you ask me. A leader can be made in certain situations of survival. It can range from promoting what is right to perform social changes, or just to execute their own ideas. When you are a leader you gain a certain sense of independence, and pride to that you started something. Therefore, when it’s finished you get to show people that you were able to accomplish all of this.

In the Leadership Challenge, 4th edition, it is Kouzes & Posner (2007) intention to present a road map for individuals to follow on their leadership journey. The authors stress that “leadership is not a gene and it’s not an inheritance.” Leadership they assert is “an identifiable set of skills and abilities that are available to all of us” (p. 23). They make clear that the “great person” theory of leadership is “plain wrong.” Leaders are our everyday heroes who do extraordinary things on a regular basis (p. 23).

Throughout time the question of “ Are leaders born or made?” continues to be debated. This question has been part of several myths that try to explain what makes a person a leader. According to the trait approach theory, it sets a benchmark for what certain traits an individual must possess in order to make them a leader. Before leadership traits were considered innate. However, as time has progressed research has indicated that situations differentiate leaders from non-leaders. Therefore, an individual does not possess certain traits, rather it is the relationship between the person and its society that make him/her leader. All leaders must have a set of skills that help them lead subordinates to reach an overall vision. A vision must originate from both the leader and its followers, and it is the leader's job to articulate the vision. Furthermore, leaders demonstrate the capacity to lead their followers and

My father once told me that, “everything we do— be it in academia, at work, social or family life—we are guided by principles, beliefs and values that collectively form our ideology of life.” I believe that every leader, to a certain extent, is shaped through her individual personal experience. Although in some cases, we may not realize to what extent our personal assumptions and beliefs shape our ability to lead or be led.

In line with the hope for a perfect leadership, this paper will critically appraise a popular leadership theory, the great man theory. It will discuss its tenets, merits and demerits especially as it applies to

What qualities make a good leader? You can ask a hundred different people, and you will get a hundred different answers. A good leader is someone who accomplishes the mission, has the respect of their subordinates, and makes the difficult decisions when needed. For me, I believe that a great leader needs to have a variety of qualities, but most importantly a sense of fairness, hard work/care, and common consideration for others. Different experiences throughout my life and time at West Point have lead me to believe that these three tenants are what are most needed for a great leader. In terms of a leader’s moral character, common consideration has the greatest influence on the success of a leader, because without common consideration, a

The topic of leadership and what makes a good leader has been studied for many years and has resulted in various leadership theories. Early leadership theories focused on the qualities or characteristic that leaders possessed while subsequent theories considered other variables such as the leader’s behavior and situations. Each theory has its advantages and disadvantages. In this report, I will provide a detailed analysis of the Trait, Contingency, Behavioral and Path-goal theories.

My father once told me that, “everything we do— be it in academia, at work, social or family life—we are guided by principles, beliefs and values that collectively form our ideology of life.” I believe that every leader, to a certain extent, is shaped through her individual personal experience. Although in some cases, we may not realize to what extent our personal assumptions and beliefs shape our ability to lead or be led.

Mahatma Gandhi, Mike Krzyzewski, Pope Francis, and Abraham Lincoln. All great leaders, all posses the same characteristics. When it comes to leadership many different names can be added to the long list. If you were to take a closer look on those people you will find what makes up a great leader. Being a leader is meant for only a certain breed of people. To be a great leader a person must consist of Confidence, Intelligence, and they must be versed. Great Leaders are all alike in someway.

The word leadership cannot be defined by one single definition. This is a word that has many different characteristics as well as traits. Throughout the years people have bespoke this word behind many of the influential individuals that have come and gone in America’s history. Furthermore, I think that a leader is one that leads by example. A great leader knows that it is not about what you say, but more so of what you do. As this paper continues, I will give examples of what I consider a leader as well as the strategical plan that has been paved for me to become the great leader that’s within.

Some experts say while executives should stay close to the core of their business, they should also be able to delegate by understanding group behavior and knowing what makes a good leader. They can do this first by recognizing their own leadership traits and management style. Senior executives should recognize that if their company is growing that they may not always be able to manage all of their accounts, but should always lead them by influencing a group to successfully completing their goals. Matching leaders as well as groups and understanding their traits and behaviors to fit the situation or project can be successful.

If you do not truly love what you are doing you are not going to convince anyone else to love it either. A good leader has to be strong in their convictions and confident in themselves and their teams. Everyone needs encouragement especially when it comes to giving it your all for the company. By providing a good reward system you are fostering good conversations of feeling appreciated and needed on these projects. It will make employees want to do well not only to impress you, but to impress those who may hold future roles for them.

“The best way to predict the future is to create it” as stated by Peter Drucker, a famous philosopher during the early 1900s. Everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion. Within the choices we make on an everyday basis, it is imperative to use what we know and have gained through social experiences to complete the possibilities of our “castle in the air”. For this will make and shape our own destiny, to the top of our zenith.

The idea of leadership and what qualifies some individuals as leaders is often shadowed by the harrowing misconceptions of its false reality. Yet, these misconceptions are taught and suggested so often in society that we all have come to believe them… Leaders are born; Leaders are charismatic; Leaders don’t work, they delegate; Leadership is an ability only given to a few; Leadership is about power, prestige, and status… Those are just a few of the many.