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What a Leader Should
Consider
Joan Marques
One of the interesting parts of being a college professor is,
that you can
obtain the most interesting and holistic pictures of the
examined topics,
through the fairly straightforward process of horizonalization,
which is
placing all answers from all participants on one level and
subsequently
eliminating the redundant parts.
On my question: “What, in your opinion, are the most important
aspects for a
leader to consider?” my students recently came up with the
following.
A good leader should consider:
* His or her mission and vision. The strength of a leader
starts with having
a clearly defined purpose in life.
* His or her conviction and the most appropriate leadership
style, given
this conviction.
* His or her communication skills, because those will make it
possible to
orient followers closer to the goal or dream.
* The present situation, the people who will follow the vision,
the
leader-follower respect level, and the desired result.
* Humility. An arrogant leader will not be followed for long,
because he or
she will intimidate his or her followers, which will interfere
in the
quality of mutual communication and sharing the conviction.
Once the
followers turn away, the leader ceases to be a leader. On the
other hand, a
leader who is humble enough to give followers credit for their
efforts will
be honored and respected in return.
* Adaptability to changing environments. Nothing guarantees a
downfall
better than a stubborn, inflexible leader.
* People skills: Knowing how to deal with followers from
various
backgrounds, and thus, with various perceptions.
* A well-rounded personality: Being able to get along with
people and be
sympathetic while, at the same time, being knowledgeable and
stable as well.
* Understanding: Although this ties into adaptability and
people skills,
this factor still deserves separate mentioning, as
understanding pertains to
much more than just working well with followers. It encompasses
the entire
environment in which the leader leads.
* The ability to motivate others: It is not always easy to get
a group of
people at the same level. Different followers may have
different perceptions
and different capacities, and therefore may need different
tactics to get
things done.
* Ethics. Before leading anyone the leader should make sure his
or her
intentions and values are in the right place.
* Inspiration. This is closely related to conviction,
communication, and
motivation. The leader should believe in him or herself; be
able to get the
message across, and live it in order to get the followers to do
the same.
* Honesty. If a leader is caught lying once, his or her
integrity is lost,
and therefore the trust of the followers.
* Kindness: The leader should be accessible and friendly,
because these
manifestations will encourage followers to open up and share
their
suggestions and experiences, which may turn out to be valuable
resources to
the leader.
* Charisma: Although maybe not the most important asset for a
leader to
consider, charisma helps to get people moving toward the goal
at a steadier
pace.
* Determination: Once the goal is set, the leader should be
confident and
resolute in achieving it, in spite of some hurdles that will
undoubtedly
surface.
* Sensitivity. Showing empathy for others' needs,
and giving support and
understanding without becoming overwhelmed by others' problems,
make for a
strong leader.
* Responsible risk taking. This takes courage, but should be
applied anyway.
A good leader should go for what he or she believes in, even
when the odds
are against him or her. At the same time, the leader should
stay on the
right side of the fine line between taking calculated risks and
indulging in
foolish recklessness.
* Decisiveness. Being able to make bold decisions when
necessary can
determine the difference between mediocrity and
greatness.
* A good heart. It is the heart that drives every part of an
individual. By
having a heart the leader shows character.
* Supportiveness to followers, and, as a result to that:
guidance in every
possible form. Mentoring may be one of them. Facilitating
training to
enhance followers’ skills is another.
* The organization he or she is leading, and the goals of this
organization.
If the goals of the organization are not aligned to the values
of the
leader, he or she should consider leading somewhere else.
* A hardworking and dedicated approach. Although this is known
more as a
management skill than a leadership trait, it still does
miracles for the
identification of followers with their leader.
* Respect toward followers. If they feel appreciated and
respected for their
input, followers will be encouraged to perform even
better.
* Listening. Followers often have very useful information to
share. Besides,
they experience it as positive if their leader also lends an
ear to their
personal issues.
* Caring: A leader who listens should also follow up by
attempting to
improve the quality of his or her followers’ lives.
* Being positive and optimistic: this attitude will rub off on
followers,
and they will make the seemingly impossible possible.
* Being encouraging toward followers, even when they fail. A
good leader
does not shy away from giving a reprimand, but does not dwell
on it too long
either. He or she tries to catch people doing good things, and
mentions that
to them as well!
* Being socially responsible, and trying to do things right to
set an
example for followers. This may be the point where the golden
rule should be
mentioned as an important leadership consideration: “do unto
others as you
would want them to do unto you.” The golden rule
includes being cognizant
of their behaviors towards employees of the company as well as
customers and
peers
* Having knowledge of the followers and the situation, so that
the leader
can apply the right leadership strategies.
* Being calm and collected, which radiates trust to all
stakeholders.
* Being patient, as this is the trait that ultimately will
deliver the
rewards.
It is needless to say that the list could continue
inexhaustibly. However,
the above provided points may encourage you to add your own
perspectives.
Feel free!
Joan Marques, Ed.D.
Burbank, May 9, 2004
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About the Author:
Joan Marques emigrated from Suriname, South America, to
California, U.S., in
1998. She holds a doctorate in Organizational Leadership, a
Master’s in
Business Administration, and is currently a university
instructor in
Business and Management in Burbank, California. You may visit
her web sites
Joan's manual "Feel Good About Yourself," a six part series to
get you over
the bumps in life and onto success, can be purchased and
downloaded at:
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It is better to live in serene poverty than in hectic
affluence. Everything
has a price. The price for nurturing your soul is turning away
from
excessive stress, destruction of self-respect, and the constant
strive in
lifestyle with the Joneses. But it’s worth it.
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