Leadership skills are essential in today’s competitive world, benefiting both personal and professional growth. They are integral to effective management, enabling individuals and organizations to enhance productivity and reach objectives. Different authors may have varying perspectives on the concept of leadership.
According to Koontz, leadership is typically understood as the art of influencing people to actively and enthusiastically pursue group objectives. It involves the process of influencing both formal and informal groups in their efforts to set and achieve goals. A leader is someone who possesses a charismatic presence that energizes individuals to rally behind a particular cause.
Great leaders exert influence on their followers not through words, but through their actions – they practice what they preach. Leadership is present in various aspects of our lives, starting from our families during childhood, extending to politics and government, and notably in our work environments. We all acknowledge leadership both in others and occasionally within ourselves.
Leadership is essential for optimizing organizational efficiency, achieving goals, and promoting national unity in challenging times. Moreover, being a positive parental role model fosters the development of responsible and successful adults. Personally, I strongly value the significance of leadership in my personal life, within organizations, and in society at large.
The presence of strong leadership is essential for fostering development and advancement in both private and public sectors. It acts as a guiding influence, steering us towards achievement. Leaders have the ability to inspire and encourage individuals, promoting teamwork and facilitating cooperation towards common goals. Conversely, lacking capable leadership may result in disagreements and disharmony caused by differing perspectives.
Leadership plays a crucial role in guiding and aligning our collective efforts. Effective leadership skills are needed at personal, professional, and social levels. Personal leadership empowers us to identify our aspirations, strengths, and capabilities. It entails understanding our life goals, defining our own version of success, and charting a path to achieve these goals regardless of external opinions or influences.
Personal leadership is crucial for improving our present circumstances and molding a favorable future. Additionally, effective leadership plays a vital role in the prosperous operation of businesses. In general, companies prioritize management’s decision-making abilities as they believe that making timely and astute decisions will contribute to their company’s success.
It should be emphasized that the execution of decisions is equally important as their creation. If decisions are not properly implemented, there will be no tangible outcomes. The saying “actions speak louder than words” holds true in this case. Merely making a decision does not bring about any change; instead, efficiently and promptly completing tasks is what enables an organization to achieve its objectives.
Having effective leadership is essential for the successful implementation of decisions, whether it be at a national level or in our own understanding of its significance. In terms of elections, we all strive to choose the most capable candidate because their impact goes beyond our personal lives and extends to our country and even the international arena.
The president holds a significant role as a leader in our nation, carrying great responsibility. Leadership is crucial as it shapes our perception of the complex and fragmented world we live in and forms our worldview, which includes our perception of ourselves.
Our perspective on life is not influenced solely by specific events or circumstances, but rather by the broader pattern of our way of living. The level of maturity we possess greatly influences this lifestyle and our reactions to significant matters in life. It is widely acknowledged that individuals who have lower levels of maturity tend to have self-centered viewpoints.
Possessing maturity and a positive worldview can enhance a person’s strength, confidence, determination, compassion, honesty, and broad-mindedness. These qualities are indicators of being a good leader. Thus, having both maturity and a positive worldview helps individuals become exceptional leaders who can guide others authentically without using control or coercion.
The servant-leader is initially a servant, prioritizing service before anything else. This stems from a genuine desire to serve and focuses primarily on serving others. One vital aspect for achieving success in leadership is the degree to which the leader and employee prioritize meeting each other’s developmental needs. Leaders should also be willing to follow and support others.
Leaders should prioritize the best interests of those they serve and possess a deep understanding of their thoughts, emotions, beliefs, and behaviors. They should comprehend individuals’ values, the underlying reasons for these values, as well as their most important aspirations and fears. Without this insight, their ability to effectively serve others is simply an act. Furthermore, leaders must trust in their employees. Individuals who have faith in their own capabilities are more likely to treat others with respect and demonstrate greater commitment and perseverance compared to those with low self-esteem.
Recognizing the importance of emotional control, leaders must understand that their employees are individuals with emotions that greatly impact their thoughts, feelings, and actions. Leaders who possess emotional intelligence comprehend that team members are first and foremost humans before being workers. As a result, leaders should treat employees in the same way they would like to be treated by others.
To be a successful leader, one must accomplish tasks and gain the respect of their team. There is a misconception that being a leader is easy, but I also used to believe this until I learned through this course that it involves more than giving commands and receiving payment.
In order to be an effective leader, it is essential to go beyond just giving orders and completing tasks. A strong leader prioritizes the needs of others over their own and listens actively as a powerful method of persuasion and communication. Neglecting this crucial skill with employees can lead to a lack of respect and ignorance about the inner workings of the organization.
Effective communication skills are essential in resolving work-related issues, complaints, and conflicts through active listening. However, leaders often struggle to fully engage with their employees despite the seemingly simple task of listening.
To find a solution, a leader needs patience and readiness. They should also have a strong moral, professional, and emotional compass instead of being easily swayed. A good leader should be adaptable and flexible to adjust to changing circumstances. Consequently, it is crucial for leaders to be prepared and flexible in handling situations based on specific circumstances.
Personally, I favor the Collective – Participative decision-making style when it comes to decision-making, conflict resolution, and communication with employees. Each employee possesses their own unique strengths that they contribute to the company. Hence, involving the members of the team in a constructive discussion assists in exploring different viewpoints on the matter. Moreover, this approach fosters a sense of value among employees as their opinions are given prominence.
The self assessment has reinforced my understanding of servant leadership theory, which states that a successful leader prioritizes putting their employees in the best position to achieve the organization’s common goal. This theory suggests that a manager should serve their employees before themselves, making the concept of servant leadership centered around being a servant first.
Servant leadership, rooted in the Christian faith, combines the roles of being a servant and a leader. It follows the character of the Lord and incorporates Biblical principles into a management model. I believe that Christian values are as influential in shaping servant leadership as the values of other belief systems, such as Hinduism.
The Bharavaad-Gita, which is considered the holy book of Hindus, emphasizes the importance of embodying qualities such as compassion, generosity, avoidance of immorality, the willingness to give, and the willingness to serve for those who follow Hindu beliefs. Mahatama Gandhi, an Indian freedom fighter, exemplified a servant leader by dedicating his life to serving the people of India instead of adopting authoritarian leadership approaches. It is my belief that every religion worldwide teaches the principles of servant leadership, but it is up to individuals to interpret these teachings differently.
Both Ken Blanchard and Phil Hodges advocate for servant leadership theory. They are affiliated with Lead Like Jesus, an organization that aims to provide leaders in various sectors, such as organizations, churches, and schools, with a powerful message: LEAD LIKE JESUS. Lead like Jesus aims to empower leaders to become servants and achieve true greatness. The theory of servant leadership is also supported by relationship leadership theory.
Leaders who employ relationship-style management prioritize both the performance and personal development of group members. This theory emphasizes the interconnections between leaders and followers. Gita serves as a tangible illustration of Servant-Leadership, as it is a sacred text of Hindus and one of the oldest known texts in the world.
The manuscript, thought to be an ancient version of the Western theory of servant leadership, is referred to by Hindus. Lord Krishna’s leadership style in the Bharavaad Gita aligns with both the servant-leader and transformational models of leadership, depending on situational contingencies.
