Qualities of a Leader Introduction Leadership can be defined as ones ability to get others to willingly follow. Fvery organization needs leaders at everý level. Leaders can be found to be nurtured if you look for the following character traits. A leader with vision has a clear, vivid picture of where to go, as well as a firm grasp on what success looks like and how to achìeve it. But its not enough to have a vision; leaders must also share it and act upon ìt. Jack Welch, firmer chairman and CEO of General Electric Co., said, Good business leaders create a vision. articulate the vision, passionately own the vision and relentlesslv drive it to completion. A leader must be able to communicate his or her vision in terms that cause followers to buy into it. He or she must communicate clearly and passionately, as passion is contagious. good leader must have the discipline to work toward his or her vision single-mindedly, as well as to direct his or her actions and those of the team toward the goal. Action is the mark of a leader. A leader does not suffer analysis paralysis but is always doing something in pursuit of the vision, inspiring others to do the same. QUALITIES NEEDED IN THE LEADERS: 1. Self-respect and respect for others. If you don’t have a healthy self-respect, you wont respect others. If you don’t respect others, they will not respect you. You cant lead people who don’t respect you. 2. The ability to communicate effectívely. Leaders say what they mean and mean exactly what they say. Effective communicators are far more persuasive than those who don’t communicate well. 4. Having a vision, a mission (or a purpose), a sense of direction, and a clear set of goals. Moreover, they know that their job isn’t done when one set of goals is reached. Leaders know that life is a journey. 5. Being grounded. Leaders have a vision of what the world around them ought to be, but they- are also pragmatic. Things will not always go smoothly, but leaders understand that and have the presence of mind to deal with that. 6. Courage. Fear is a powerful motivator; it causes many of us to turn away from our goals when our belief in ourselves and our cause isn’t strong. Leaders aren’t fearless — leaders make a conscious choice to act in spite of their fear. 7 commitment, and dedication. Its like they always say: Winners don’t quit, and quitters don’t win. Nothing worth having comes easily. When setbacks crop up, leaders don’t flag because they always have their eyes on the prize. 8. Integrity is the integration of outward actions and inner values. A person of integrity is the same on the outside and on the inside. Such an individual can be trusted because he or she never veers from inner values, even when it might be expeditious to do so. A leader must have the trust of followers and therefore must display integrity. Honest dealings, predictable reactions, well-controlled emotions, and an absence of tantrums and harsh outbursts are all signs of integrity. A leader who is centered in integrity will be more approachable by followers. 9. Dedication means spending whatever time or energy is necessary to accomplish the task at hand. A leader inspires dedication by example, doing whatever it takes to complete the next step toward the vision. By setting an excellent example, leaders can show followers that there are no nine-to-five jobs on the team, only opportunities 10 achieve something gréat. 10. Magnanimity means giving credit where it is due. A magnanimous leader ensures that credit for successes is spread as widely as possible throughout the company. Conversely, a good leader takes personal responsibility for failures. This sort of reverse magnanimity helps other people feel good about themselves and draws the team closer together. To spread the fame and take the blame is a hallmark of effective leadership. 1 1. Leaders with humilitv recognize that they are no better or worse than other members of the team. A humble leader is not self-effacing but rather tries to elevate everyone. Leaders with humility also understand that their status does not make them a god. Mahatma Gandhi is a role model for Indian leaders. and he pursued a follower-centric leadership role. 12. Openness means being able to listen to new ideas, even if they do not conforrn to the usual way of thinking. Good leaders are able to suspend judgment while listening to others ideas. as well as accept new ways of doing things that someone else thought of. Openness builds mutual respect and trust between leaders and followers. and it also keeps the team well supplied with new ideas that can further its vision. 13. Creativity is the ability to think differently, to get outside of the box that constrains solutions. Creativity gives leaders the ability to see things that others have not seen and thus lead followers in new directions. The• most important question that a leader can ask is, What if... ? Possibly the worst thing a leader can say is. • I know this is a dumb question... 14. Fairness in one’s dealing with others consistently and justly. A leader must check all the facts and hear everyone out 1efore passing judgment. He or she must avoid leaping to conclusions based on incomplete evidence. When people feel they that are being treated fairly, they reward a leader with loyalty and dedication. 15. Assertiveness is not the same as aggressiveness. Rather, it is the ability to clearly state what one expects so that there ill be no misunderstandings. A leader must be assertive to get the desired results. Along with assertiveness comes the responsibility to clearly understand what followers expect frorn their leader. Many leaders have difficulty striking the right amount of assertiveness, according to a study in the February 2007 issue of the journal of Personality and Social Psychology, published by the APA (American • Psychological Association). It seems that being under assertive or overassertive may be the most common weakness among aspiring leaders. 16. A sense of humor is vital to relieve tensiòn and boredom, as well as to defuse hostility. Effective leaders know how to se humor to energize followers. Humor is a form of power that provides some control over lntrinsic traits such as intelligence, good looks. height and so on are not necessary to become a leader. Anyone can ci1tivate the proper leadership traits. Effective Christian Leadership having Servant Mentality Paul states have become its (the church’s) servant by the commission God gave me. . . Paul himself not as a professional or an executive. but a servant. Jesus gave is an examp1e of what this means. In the upper room when the discíples gathered with Jesus for the Passover meal. Before the meal we see the contrasting styles of leadership. The disciples were in a power struggle. The question was who should! take the position of a servant and was the feet of the disciples. Peter and John debated who was most important. The disciples compared credentials, displayed their degrees, trumpeted their experience. They sought to gain their position of importance. Jesus shows the disciples the nature of godly leadership. He takes off his garment and humbles himself like a sérvant and washes the feet of the disciples. The disciples were aghast. This was not the way a leader was to behave. Jesus told them that He was giving them a model of the kind of leadership He desired: servant leadership. A man grounded in the fear of The Lord and Spiritual values: Apart from me you can do nothing. Gandhi. ....believed and praçticed an Truth and non-violence. To be effective, inspiring, role-model..need to be centred on God and on spiritual values. . . .Mother Teresa angel of mercy and kindness to the scores of sick, orphans and haplešs people. John Paul the Second forgiving..., his assassin Mohammed Ali Aqca..forgiving and embracing him in the italian prison. The popes forgiving gesture gíves energy and vitality to us Christian leaders . . .the papers reported. When people in the world talk about leadership you hear words like: • Power • lnfluence • Leverage • They are called people who make things happen or dont put up with any non-sense Jesus ca1ls leaders marked by the qualities like, • Compassion . • Humility • Gentleness • Generosity • Patience • Service **********************************************************
Posted on: Wed, 04 Sep 2013 15:26:11 +0000
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