The suthor of this piece is Julie Moran Alterio of The Journal News in upstate New York. There might be as as many leadership theories as there are experts, but most agree on the basics.
STRENGTHS IN LEADERSHIP
Successful leaders display these characteristics:
Communication
Being a great listener is vital to understanding what’s going on in a company.
Motivation
People quit not because they’re unhappy with their pay, but because they don’t feel appreciated, according to career consultant Maureen Morris, owner of the Success Image Career Center in Larchmont. “Leaders need to give people a feeling of purpose,” Morris says.
Integrity
Leaders need an internal set of values—including honesty and fairness—to help them make difficult decisions.
Stamina
Physical and psychological health are vital to riding the ups and downs of running an organization.
Respect for Others
Unless someone genuinely values people and is willing to minimize status differences, he or she won’t receive reciprocal respect from employees.
Openness
Leaders need to be intellectually flexible and embrace the opportunities that change brings.
Self-Control
Leaders need to understand that their emotions have a strong effect on their followers. Daniel P. Goleman author of the best-selling book, Emotional Intelligence, said that top companies, when faced with a pool of high-potential candidates, will choose the person with the greatest emotional self-control. “If you are going to entrust a business to someone, you don’t want that someone losing it under stress,” Goleman said.
LEADERSHIP WEAKNESSES
These pitfalls accompany failed leadership:
Ego
Poor leaders are unwilling to share the limelight, which triggers resentment among followers. “Unless you get the people around you to support you, you’re pretty much out there by yourself,” Morris said.
Arrogance
Leaders who are full of themselves will ultimately lose the respect of their followers, especially if they ignore or demean others.
Complacency
Unless a manager is leading people toward a goal, he or she will become disenchanted. Maintaining the status quo hurts morale and is often bad for business.
Cynicism
It’s hard to be cynical and lead. Where cynics criticize from the sidelines, leaders leap in and try to solve the problems.
Fear
People who are afraid or unwilling to take risks will find it hard to act and will likely disenchant followers.
IF YOU ARE A PROFESSIONAL LEADER, THEN STUDY LEADERSHIP!
I hope you enjoy these different points of view on leadership, and remember these can be used in any part of your life. Leadership is not about a title or salary grade or about authority. It’s about getting the right things done and making things better for everyone.
PS: . . . and then take a Time Management course, so you can implement what you have learned. . . . Lee