...Traditionally, effective leaders were characterized by traits that exhibit control and power over their followers. However, in today’s competitive and ever changing environment with followers becoming increasingly knowledgeable in learning organizations, the conventional coercive style is no longer the most effective in inspiring those under you to do their best and to commit themselves to you as their leader. Lao Tzu’s quote embodies the essence of servant and transformational leadership. It suggests selflessness by serving the greater good, as well as a coaching mentality that guides and assists the team towards collective success so that everyone feels engaged. These are relevant traits of an effective leader, but the extent of its effectiveness and relevance depends on the situation, demographic characteristics, individual style and tier of leadership you are engaged in, and the readiness of your followers. “Serving the greater good” suggests that the leader has acknowledged the collective interests of the organization and is committed towards its cause in spite of its potential tradeoff in self-interest. This selfless behavior naturally makes you a role model as you walk the talk and this has the ability to catch on your followers. They start to truly trust, admire, and respect you as their leader. This constant pull of mutual respect and identity enable leaders to slowly align the self-interests of their followers to that of the team, building the cornerstones of...
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...Do Effective Managers Also Need To Be Good Leaders? Remember the difference between a boss and a leader: A boss says, "Go!" a leader says, "Let's go!" - E.M. Kelly In order to answer the above question, we first need to define managers and leaders. Each of who have their roles defined. Then, we should compare the differences and similarities between the two, and determine if effective managers need to be good leaders. A manager is one who gets things done through other people, in order to achieve stated organizational objectives . Thus, an effective manager is one who efficiently and successfully can achieve the objectives of the organization. Managerial work can also be summarized as clarification of objects, planning, organizing, directing and controlling. ‘Effective Manager' can thus be defined in the terms of the quantity and quality of standards of performance, and the satisfaction and commitment of subordinates. Leadership is often linked with reference to one person leading. Leadership is a self-motivated and involves four components. First, to lead involves influencing others. Second, where there are leaders there are followers. Third, leaders seem to come to the forefront when there is a crisis or special problem. In other words, they often become visible when a ground-breaking response is needed. Fourth, leaders are people who have a clear idea of what they want to achieve and why. Thus, leaders are people who are able to think and act creatively in non-routine...
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...An Effective Leader Being an effective leader means different things to different people. While researching this topic, I found that lots of the articles about effective leaders include some of the same key factors. According to Hill, “Some say great leaders are born, not made. And while there are some born leaders, many more have honed their leadership skills through extensive practice (Hill, 2009, p. 1).” I, personally, agree with that statement. I think that some leaders are born that way, but most people that are leaders are trained and taught to be that way. Leadership success always starts with vision. Effective leaders periodically take stock of their personal strengths and shortcomings. They ask: “What do I like to do? What am I really good at?” “What are my areas of weakness, and what do I dislike doing?” ("Three Fundamentals," 2009). Knowing your areas of weakness does not make you weak; on the contrary, it allows you to delegate to others who have those abilities, in order to achieve the common goal. Rather than clinging to the false belief that they can do it all, great leaders hire people who complement, rather than supplement, their skills. Working on your areas of weaknesses will improve your leadership ability – and recognizing them makes you more human. Effective leaders lead by example and merely invite others to come along with them (Kerfoot, 2012). Keeping promises is another sign of effective leadership. They believe in others and never fail to reward...
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...Effective leaders develop effective groups. It is paramount for leaders to establish democracy and open communication within a group. I will be explaining what tactics are useful for leaders to develop effective group participation. I will further explain how negotiation and persuasion can help ease conflict and controversy. Groups can be effective or non effective, they can operate as a democracy or a hierarchy. Depending on the type of group and activities performed there are different levels of commitment and participation. We join groups for many different reasons. Groups provide something to each individual. Many functions an effective group performs successfully, would be much more difficult if attempted alone. Effective leadership is key to a group's success. Leaders must provide to each individual to encourage participation and to create group commitment. It is important for leaders to make effective, goal oriented decisions that represent the group. Groups may also provide its members with more support and commitment than other groups. A good example of this type of group would be Alcohol Anonymous. AA members receive much more support through their group than a membership at a golf course. Every group in which we belong has its own norms, level of commitment, participation and effectiveness. Cooperation among group members is the basis for reaching goals and developing trust. Being trustworthy to the other members in the group creates an cooperative effort to reach...
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...gement Review 1979, Vol. 4, No. 2,215-224. Task Design Determinants of Effective Leader Behavior^ RiCKYW. GRIFFIN University of Missouri—Columbia The theoretical and empirical research literature on task design and path-goal theory of leadership is reviewed. It is suggested that task design and individual variables interact to form a construct called individual-task congruence. A model is then developed which depicts leader behavior as a moderating variable between individuai-task congruence and satisfaction and performance. There is an increasing body of theoretical and empirical behavioral science literature dealing with the design of work in formal organizations. Much of this literature is concerned with the diagnosis and description of existing jobs and/or the implementation of task design change programs for the purpose of improving organizational effectiveness. The rationale seems to be that if the needs and capabilities of an individual are matched with the expectations and requirements of a task, higher 9/els of satisfaction, motivation, and productivity .vill result (6). Most published research on task design, however, has not taken other organizational variables into consideration. The general model for contemporary task design research has investigated the moderating effect of certain variables on the relationship between task design and outcome variables such as satisfaction, performance, and commitment (2, 7, 8, 19, 22, 25, 26, 28, 29, 33). A few empirical studies...
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...White, Michael 03 FEB 2014 An Effective Leader All though-out history we have seen countless leaders in history books, movies leading men into war, running countries or on the local city council. Anybody can be a leader but few can be a good leader, there is not a formula of what a good leader consists of because it is found in a variety of leadership styles, but in these varying types of leadership styles you will find a set amount of traits that each leader possesses confidence, integrity, communication, interpersonal tact, and most importantly the ability to get results. `A leader must be confident in all aspects from making decisions to speaking to your platoon, the ability to be confident in your leadership ability will pay dividends in earning the command and respect of your troops. Having confidence in yourself as a leader will enable you to make better decisions rather than second guessing yourself and being timid. In the military where failure is never an option being confident in your leadership style is up most important. The integrity of a leader will determine how long he will be in power as a leader. A leader without integrity does not have the trust of his soldiers which creates weak links in platoon. Without integrity amongst soldiers, there is not trust, and how can one expect a soldier to fight and die with and for their brothers if they do not trust one another. The Army values integrity so highly that it is one of the Army’s values for all soldiers...
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...The Sanctions Debate and the Logic of Choice David A. Baldwin debate over whether economic sanctions "work" is mired in a scholarly limbo. One writer contends that recent international relations scholarship has promoted optimism about the utility of such measures and sets out to challenge this trend} while another notes the pessimism that "pervades the sanctions literature" and proceeds to argue that it is unjustified. 2 A third scholar cites the sanctions literature as an example of fruitless academic debate with little policy relevance.3 Such divergent readings of the scholarly literature are often explained by differences in ideology or fundamentally different theoretical orientations. This does not seem to be the case with respect to the sanctions debate. Under appropriate circumstances, it is quite possible for liberals, neoliberals, realists, neorealists, or globalists to argue in favor of using economic sanctions. If the sanctions debate is bogged down, the explanation does not seem to lie in the essentially contested nature of the subject matter. A second potential explanation is that scholars are talking past one another because they ask different questions, use different concepts, and set the discussion in different analytical contexts. In short, they are talking about different things. This article explores the second explanation. The basic paradox at the heart of the sanctions debate is that policymakers continue to use sanctions with increasing...
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...Behaviors of Effective Leaders Sandra Tallant Grand Canyon University October, 7, 2015 Behaviors of Effective Leaders Effective leaders can exhibit behaviors that are conducive to the success of their leadership. Sometimes those behaviors may be abnormal or part of a syndrome like psychopathy. Other times behaviors are considered normal according to personality ratings. Taken together these behaviors can be characteristics found in an effective leader. In addition, behaviors of an effective leader can be categorized into three themes of personality traits, personal leadership styles, and leader self-identity. While not all behaviors are conducive to effective leadership, all the above themes are vital to the development of successful leaders of the past, present and future. The shared themes were synthesized from three articles all of which discussed the effective leader. First, the Odom, Boyd, and Williams (2012) article, “Impact of Personal Growth Projects on Leadership Identity Development” whose purpose was to explain the importance of personal growth in the identity of self for potential leaders of the future. Next, “Fearless Dominance and the U.S. Presidency: Implications of Psychopathic Personality Traits for Successful and Unsuccessful Political Leadership” written by Lilienfeld, et al (2012) whose purpose was to explore psychopathic personality traits that are present in effective leaders in the business and political world. Finally, the purpose of...
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...Effective Managers and Leaders Gary Martin Argosy University Introduction In this paper I will identify the characteristics of what I think are an effective leader. It will compare and contrast the differences between male and female leaders. I will evaluate based on gender the degree with which each gender possesses the leadership characteristics I will identify. Four characteristics of an effective leader One of the keys to being an effective leader is integrity, as the leader you must adhere to moral and ethical principles. The ability to influence and lead subordinates is directly tied to their belief in you and your soundness of moral character. People will not give their best efforts if they perceive a lack of integrity in the leader. Honesty is a must in a leader, people need to believe that you will be honest with them on all levels. Honesty goes a long way in building respect and a mutually beneficial working relationship. If the honesty of the leader is ever in question this will result in a fragmented and thus ineffective team. The work ethic of the leader must be above reproach. The leader has to lead by example you can’t expect people to work harder than you do. If you are in charge but you leave the office early everyday your nonverbal communication is clear, I have more important things to do than to be here working with the group. As the leader it is paramount...
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...ILM LEVEL 5 AWARD 522 Becoming an effective leader Outcome 1 Evaluate own ability to use a range of leadership styles, in different situations and with different types of people, to fulfil the leadership role. During my first 7 months of employment with Ramsay Healthcare as a TSSU lead I have had to adapt and learn very quickly how to use different leadership styles as I have very different staff members with completely different personalities who react completely different when given tasks or instructions. With one member of staff I get results and never have to ask twice, she is always positive when at work and always willing to support me but over time I had found out she was making a lot of mistakes when packing trays. I had to be very careful how I approached her about this because I didn’t want to affect her work ethic or make her think that she wasn’t very good at her job. After observing her for a few days, I quickly identified where the mistakes were being made and decided that a bit of refresher training was the best course of action. I approached the individual and spoke to her about the mistakes she was making, but said not to worry we would work together to rectify the mistakes. We sat down and discussed a plan moving forward and we agreed that I would be working a lot more closely with the individual to assist with additional training. I found that combining leadership styles was probably the most effective way of solving this problem, using advising and...
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...CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EFFECTIVE LEADER (BY LINDA HOLBECHE) Leaders have an important role within an organization related to its success, productivity and the performance of the employees. The ‘fundamental task of a leader is to build and maintain a high performing team’. The true task of leadership involves the ability to make change happen. Although multitudes of research have been done on what makes an effective leader, there appears to be no guaranteed consensus. Essentially outstanding leaders become a fine balance between traits, abilities, behaviors, sources of power, and aspects of the situation. These become the determining factors of the ability to influence followers and accomplish group objectives. Therefore, any member of any group, at any one time, may assume a leadership role, given any degree of innate traits and the circumstances surrounding the event. Different people who can effectively influence what the group does, how it is done and the method by which the group relates to one another could carry out various leadership functions. Effective leadership begins with the fundamental ability to believe in yourself. It incorporates a maturity, conviction, and expertise that translates into a purpose and direction. It is this clarity of vision that gives great leaders the confidence to adopt the role of instilling motivation, self-esteem, and teamwork. As visionaries, they are disciplined thinkers and confidently trust their intuition. Leaders understand fully...
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...An effective leader is one who is selfless, tactical, and charismatic. A leader like Odysseus lets his human flaws get the better of him. They have no control over their people and make everything worse rather than better. In, Homer’s The Odyssey, Odysseus is an inadequate leader of his men, as he leaves them to die and puts them in more danger than before. Odysseus’ trait of curiosity makes him an incompetent leader. When he raids the Cyclops’ food stash, he decides to stay against his better judgment: “Ah,\how sound that was! Yet I refused. I wished\ to see the cave man, what he had to offer-\ no pretty sight, it turned out for my friends.”(171-173). He dooms some of his friends by staying to see the Cyclops causing Odysseus to also to end...
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...Characteristics of an Effective Leader Your Name Your Course Your Tutor’s Name 18th October 2012 Characteristics of an Effective Leader A leader should have excellent communication skills. In order ensure work flow is smooth within an organisation, one must be able to speak effectively in public coupled with exceptional writing skills. Your message should be straightforward and precise. This enables those with less formal education to understand easily. Difficult words with complex sentences can be hard for one to grasp figure out. He should set an example. Effective leaders lead from the front and set proper examples. They are sound, motivated, hardworking and zealous about their job. People will easily follow instructions or orders given by their leaders since they command enormous respect. He should be honest and trustworthy. A true leader should be exercise openness. People find it easy follow someone they trust and believe. They will also delegate authority by empowering staff members and believing in them. Trust build between a leader and a workmate ensures chances of failure are minimized but also accepted. He should have vision. This is the ability to have a perfect picture of how the organisation will look like in the future. He should have proper mechanisms and plans set up in place to help the organisation achieve their vision. Leadership needs confidence. This helps to build self-esteem amongst others within an organisation and develops a strong degree...
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...they would be people who would not succeed. Naturally I think that I took three skills that helped me be the best leader I could be towards my sisters: I was accountable, dependable, and compassionate. Three skills that I think any effective leader needs in helping not just your family but your community as well. My accountability comes from the learned lesson that I have taken which is knowing when to say no and yes. Throughout life, if I have accepted helping someone I will find a way to get it done. In my family, alongside my parents I have helped them to manage our household. I was ten years old when I learned to use an agenda to keep track of bills and my homework. This was my way of helping my father who had to work long hours, and my mother who did not know English. Anytime I would by accident forget to pay a monthly bill, I had to be accountable and find a way to have the provider forgive the late fee so that I would not disappoint my father. Being dependable makes you form a very well rounded personality. I am always ready to inform constituents of new policy implications for people who may not be able to...
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...Assignment 1 – Becoming an effective Leader Understanding own ability to fulfil key responsibilities of the leadership role 1.1 Evaluate own ability to use a range of leadership styles in different situations with different people There are many similarities between Leadership and Management but the fundamental difference is that Leadership always involves people, whereas Management can just involve items such as stock or IT. Therefore Leadership is the responsibility for and the leading of people. It also includes the management of the team which can ideally be delegated to team members to help them develop and boost their motivation and morale. There are numerous categories of leadership style proposed by different theorists – Bureaucratic, Charismatic, Servant, Transactional, Transformational, Situational, Behavioural, Functional and more In the 1930s, the psychologist Kurt Lewin proposed that there are three types of leaders: Autocratic leaders make decisions without consulting their teams. This may be appropriate when decisions need to be made quickly, when there's no need for team input or if team agreement isn't necessary for a successful outcome. This style can be demoralizing and lead to high staff absenteeism/turnover. Democratic leaders allow the team to provide input before a final decision is made. This style can be difficult to manage when there are lots of different perspectives and ideas and is not effective if a quick decision is required. It does encourage...
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