• What Is Leadership?

Leadership Definition:

When I started studying about leadership I read several leadership definitions. It really impressed me the different ways the subject was seen. Some say it’s a process, some say it is ability, others say it’s a relationship.

·         Leadership is a relationship between those who aspire to lead and those who choose to follow. (Kouzes & Posner, 2002).

·         Leadership is the behavior of an individual… directing the activities of a group toward a shared goal. (Hemphill & Coons, 1957).

·         Leadership is the ability of developing and communicating a vision to a group of people that will make that vision true. (Kenneth Valenzuela, 2007).

Factors of Leadershi

·       Follower
Different people require different styles of leadership. For example, a new hire requires more supervision than an experienced employee. A person who lacks motivation requires a different approach than one with a high degree of motivation. You must know your people! The fundamental starting point is having a good understanding of human nature, such as needs, emotions, and motivation. You must come to know your employees' be, know, and do attributes.

·       Leader
You must have an honest understanding of who you are, what you know, and what you can do. Also, note that it is the followers, not the leader who determines if a leader is successful. If they do not trust or lack confidence in their leader, then they will be uninspired. To be successful you have to convince your followers, not yourself or your superiors, that you are worthy of being followed.

·       Communication
you lead through two-way communication. Much of it is nonverbal. For instance, when you "set the example," that communicates to your people that you would not ask them to perform anything that you would not be willing to do. What and how you communicate either builds or harms the relationship between you and your employees.

·       Situation
All are different. What you do in one situation will not always work in another. You must use your judgment to decide the best course of action and the leadership style needed for each situation. For example, you may need to confront an employee for inappropriate behavior, but if the confrontation is too late or too early, too harsh or too weak, then the results may prove ineffective.                                                                                             

Various forces will affect these factors. Examples of forces are your relationship with your seniors, the skill of your people, the informal leaders within your organization, and how your company is organized.
Principles of Leadership

To help you be, know, and do; follow these eleven principles of leadership:

1.    Know yourself and seek self-improvement: In order to know yourself, you have to understand your be, know, and do, attributes. Seeking self-improvement means continually strengthening your attributes. This can be accomplished through self-study, formal classes, reflection, and interacting with others.

2.    Be technically proficient: As a leader, you must know your job and have a solid familiarity with your employees' tasks.

3.    Seek responsibility and take responsibility for your actions: Search for ways to guide your organization to new heights. And when things go wrong, they always do sooner or later --do not blame others. Analyze the situation, take corrective action, and move on to the next challenge.

4.    Make sound and timely decisions: Use good problem solving, decision making, and planning tools.

5.    Set the example: Be a good role model for your employees. They must not only hear what they are expected to do, but also see. We must become the change we want to see - Mahatma Gandhi

6.    Know your people and look out for their well-being: Know human nature and the importance of sincerely caring for your workers.

7.    Keep your workers informed: Know how to communicate with not only them, but also seniors and other key people.

8.    Develop a sense of responsibility in your workers: Help to develop good character traits that will help them carry out their professional responsibilities.

9.    Ensure that tasks are understood, supervised, and accomplished: Communication is the key to this responsibility.

10.Train as a team: Although many so called leaders call their organization, department, section, etc. a team; they are not really teams...they are just a group of people doing their jobs.

11.Use the full capabilities of your organization: By developing a team spirit, you will be able to employ your organization, department, section, etc. to its fullest capabilities.

Are You A Leader?

The old fable talked about turning a frog into a prince, but the point here is that you don't need to become a king to show leadership. No position is necessary, so even a lowly frog can show leadership.

Good Leaders Are Made Not Born

Leaders are mentors

One of the key tenets of leadership is the need to pass on the knowledge and experience to others. Most great leaders throughout history have made it a priority to grow and develop other leaders who can come in, take the reins and lead more effectively.

A mentor is a trusted counselor or guide, a tutor, a coach. A mentor cares more about helping others than getting credit. A mentor seeks to make the world better through helping individuals and inspiring them to help others. In the context of helping others, a mentor seeks to:

• Guide: Mentors teach others how to learn, how to find ways to do things themselves. When you ask your mentor questions, he or she does not give you the answers, but guides you to find the answer yourself. They teach you how to be successful by helping you become self-successful.
• Inspire: Mentors motivate. They have high optimism and a love for life. Their energy is contagious. Mentors lead people to succeed through their own success and by encouraging others to believe they can also succeed. They set a pattern to follow.
• Build: Mentors develop others. They provide opportunities and direction. They create structure and process to channel the growth and development of those they lead. Their goals are “other” oriented; not wanting the glory or limelight themselves, they foster the growth and success of others.