Understanding Leadership

There are so many definitions and qualities of a successful leader but only few are gathered below. Every one of us is following different leader whom we select due to variety of reasons. At times we follow certain leader because of little or no choice. At least all of us believe that a good leader is necessary to keep ones motivation and strength intact.

Definition of Leader

A leader is “a person who influences a group of people towards the achievement of a goal”.

Courtesy vtaide.com

http://www.vtaide.com/gleanings/leader.htm

What makes a TRUE Leader

 

In my opinion a True Leader should satisfy all of the following points

 Six Qualities of Leaders

1.      A True Leader always has a clean and spotless background

2.      A True Leader is always respected by his/her opponents

3.      A True Leader never lies in front of or behind his followers

4.      A True Leader always takes his followers into confidence

5.      A True Leader always has clear and logical explanations of his acts and plans

6.      A True Leader is never criticized for his moves by his followers

7.      A True Leader never keeps lifestyle above his followers

8.      A True Leader never ignites negative feelings of his followers and never involves them in to unworthy conflicts

9.      A True Leader always selects clean and flawless team and companions.

10.  A True Leader never compromise on followers interest

11.  A True Leader never bow in front of others and always ready to accept positive suggestions

12.  A True Leader always lift the moral of his team and followers

13.  A True Leader always take problems with horns and set example for his team and followers

14.  A True Leader always live in hearts and minds of his followers even after his/her death

15.  A True Leader always remembered in the history with good name

 

According to American Airlines Executive Chairman Ed Brennan, six qualities separate the leaders from the followers:

1. Integrity: This is a deal breaker if you don’t have it completely. When it comes to governance, Brennan said, he “never did anything or asked anyone to do anything he couldn’t go home and explain to his kids.”
2. A deep understanding of the business: “You can’t fake it. People will know.” While you don’t need to know every detail, you do have to have a good grasp of the business.
3. Consistency: While keeping things fresh is important, leaders cannot change direction frequently. They will lose people’s confidence.
4. Willingness to admit a mistake: Everyone makes mistakes. If you’re not making any, you’re not doing your job right. But Brennan emphasized the importance of admitting your missteps — otherwise people will not respect you.
5. The ability to listen: Good leaders must be willing to handle opinions contrary to their own and absorb as much as they can.
6. Decisiveness: While you should listen to others’ opinions, the final decision is yours to make. Brennan said when CEOs fail, very often it’s because they are not decisive. Average tenure for a CEO has fallen from more than a decade to three years because people lose confidence in leaders whose indecision results in failure.

Courtesy TechTarget.com

http://searchcio.techtarget.com/news/article/0,289142,sid182_gci1007327,00.html

 What makes great Leaders

According to Hilly Billy these qualities are evident in historical leaders such as Lincoln, Wilberforce, Gandhi, Washington, Martin Luther King Jr., Mother Theresa, and others.

1. Successful people never let circumstances dictate the outcome. Successful people learn to respond to their circumstances. They know that they cannot always control what happens, but they can control how they respond to what happens.
2. Successful people are persistent. They have their big idea and they stick with it.
3. Successful people take a realistic inventory of their talents and abilities. They recognize their personal strengths and weaknesses. They play to their own strengths and overcome their weaknesses by capitalizing on the strengths of others.
4. Successful people are resilient. They recognize that failure is an opportunity to learn and grow. They do not fear failure they embrace it. They see every failure as a step closer to the realization of their dreams. They become masters of overcoming obstacles and staying focused on a positive outcome.
5. Successful people have passion. They are faithful and they pursue their dreams with a constant vigor and they love deeply. They do not fear rejection and loss as much as they fear living without a purpose.

Courtesy HillBillyPhD.blogspot.com

http://hillbillyphd.blogspot.com/2008/03/5-qualities-of-leader.html

Top Mistakes Leaders Make

1. Managing instead of leading.
2. Mistaking individual loyalty for team building.
3. Failing to apply what motivates us.

Courtesy CIECER.org

http://ciecer.org/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=80&Itemid=42