Leadership: An Example Not Sample
Leadership is like a candle in pitch darkness, only those worthy of it stands out while those who make peaceful change impossible make violent change inevitable. Our future is the illustration; which demands the vanguard of a new order of leadership; torchbearers of a new generation and carriers of a new order of hope.
A nation where there would be a departure from dogmatism to dynamism in the existing education system, departure from legalism to realism, departure from Mathe-matics to life-matics, departure from knowledge to empowerment, departure from figures to future building.
Vision should be the commodity of leaders and not corruption which is a panacea of the myriad of conflicts bedeviling the country.
Only the most dreadful leaders have bad reputations. Leaders should always plan in the beginning when they do things and should always consider problems and prevent them.
Leading without following is sterile. In other words a leader must learn how to lead by following from behind which involves leading without coercion, letting the group be the pathfinder to corporate goal and then staying to facilitate the action.
In a nation promised at the advent of civilian dispensation that things would be markedly different from the arbitrariness of the old order of where leaders impoverished the people.
May we not be stuck in endless promises of nothingness. Leaders should always want what he or she wants and not making the people do what he or she wants.
At this juncture it would be pertinent if the seriously vexed situation is not tackled.
A nation where there would be a departure from dogmatism to dynamism in the existing education system, departure from legalism to realism, departure from Mathe-matics to life-matics, departure from knowledge to empowerment, departure from figures to future building.
Vision should be the commodity of leaders and not corruption which is a panacea of the myriad of conflicts bedeviling the country.
Only the most dreadful leaders have bad reputations. Leaders should always plan in the beginning when they do things and should always consider problems and prevent them.
Leading without following is sterile. In other words a leader must learn how to lead by following from behind which involves leading without coercion, letting the group be the pathfinder to corporate goal and then staying to facilitate the action.
In a nation promised at the advent of civilian dispensation that things would be markedly different from the arbitrariness of the old order of where leaders impoverished the people.
May we not be stuck in endless promises of nothingness. Leaders should always want what he or she wants and not making the people do what he or she wants.
At this juncture it would be pertinent if the seriously vexed situation is not tackled.
Leadership Qualities - Five Truths of Great Leaders
Great leaders inspire greatness and brilliance in others and elevate everyone's game, at home, at work, and in life. Here are five truths recognized by great leaders and all those around them.
Leadership is a gift word
The word leadership is most powerful when someone else "gifts" you the word. When you say that you are a leader, you are likely referring to your position or your experience as a leader. When someone else talks about you as a great leader, it connects at a much deeper level and means so much more.
Leadership is not about what you do, it's about who you are
When you conduct yourself in such a way that makes people want to gift you that word of "Leader", it speaks to your actions, your character, your ability to be present, your ability to inspire, innovate, assist, and support. It is not required that you have the title of leader to be capable of all these things.
Leaders are not born, they are grown
Babies don't just become Leaders. At some point, their life experiences brought out an invitation to step up and practice what would later become known as great leadership qualities. So as parents, caregivers, teachers, mentors, family, friends, bosses, and leaders... take positive action to expose those who we come into contact with to situations where they have the ability to REACH and TEACH.
Leadership is about humility
Contrary to what you might think, Leadership is about the absence of EGO. A leader is OK with those around him/her knowing more than them; is very comfortable being curious and doesn't fear looking silly for not knowing an answer; can be extroverted or introverted but always, always has the intention of setting others up for success and taking some spotlight.
Leadership is equally powerful in settings of one or one million
The effect of great leadership is magnified when a large group is exposed to it, but is equally potent for a single person to experience. If you believe as I do, that there is brilliance within all of us, then one person inspired or transformed by being exposed to great leadership has a profound impact on the world.
7 Tips for Excellent Leadership
We are all leaders at some time in some aspect of our lives, whether it be at work, on the sports field or at home with our family.
This article provides some practical tips on how to be more effective in our roles of influencing and leading others.
What is Leadership?
Fundamentally, leadership is about influencing others to enlist their aid in the accomplishment of some common task. There are different styles and methods that can be employed to create this influence, ranging from highly controlling and result oriented through to softer, people-focused approaches.
7 Tips for Leadership
The following tips are focused on improving leadership outcomes through motivating followers (including employees) to achieve their highest and best levels of accomplishment.
1. Be Authentic
Authenticity is the quality or condition of being trustworthy or genuine.
If your actions are consistent with the words you speak and the gestures, tone, and volume that you use, then you are more likely to be viewed as worthy of trust. When other people feel they can trust you, they are more likely to listen to your message and heed your advice.
2. Act With Integrity
Integrity is the quality or condition of being whole or unimpaired.
Similar to authenticity, if you speak and act honestly and reliably then you will be seen as someone who can be relied upon to keep their promises. As a leader, this supports the development of trust in your relationships with followers.
Acting with integrity also means that you seek out and willingly accept feedback from others, which assist your own development and creates an environment of openness where others will be more willing and able to accept feedback from you.
3. Be Congruent
Congruence is the quality or condition of the quality or state of agreeing or corresponding.
In relation to leadership, congruency is about applying our stated principles and beliefs to ourselves first, before expecting others to follow.
Being congruent enables you to act as a role model for others, providing them with a living example of your principles in action. This avoids the infamous "do as I say, not as I do" model sometimes attempted unsuccessfully by parents with their children.
4. Contribute
Contribution is the giving of our resources including time, energy, ideas and knowledge to the wider community in order to support others.
You can clearly demonstrate leadership by actively participating in and supporting the communities that are relevant to the field you operate within and the team(s) you lead.
5. Collaborate
Collaboration is a process where two or more people or organizations work together towards achievement of common goals.
A collaborative leader understands the importance of also acting as a team player and in participating as part of the team for the benefit of all. This can be an effective way to achieve results and creates an environment of respect between yourself, as a leader, and those individuals whom you desire to follow you.
6. Pioneer
Pioneering refers to launching out into new and unexplored territories.
If you want to lead effectively, first make sure you have a clear idea of the direction or result you desire. Secondly, begin acting in ways that set an example for others to follow. As you trailblaze the new path, those around are more likely to be inspired to follow you.
7. Communicate Effectively
Communicate your vision and any specific actions you want to be taken using precise, succinct, clear, compelling, and inspirational language.
If you can communicate in a way that touches on the hopes, dreams and values of others then you will be more effective in influencing their behavior and, in the process, will build relationships that will support achieving your common goals.
Lead On
By utilizing these specific tips and also considering these 7 aspects of leadership more broadly as to how they operate within your life, you will be better able to take action as a confident and effective leader.
Christopher Young is a senior consultant and executive coach with a broad knowledge and experience in financial services, project and change management, personal empowerment and information technology. His areas of focus include developing highly successful leaders, creating high-performance teams and implementing best practices in process improvement, project management and software development process.This article provides some practical tips on how to be more effective in our roles of influencing and leading others.
What is Leadership?
Fundamentally, leadership is about influencing others to enlist their aid in the accomplishment of some common task. There are different styles and methods that can be employed to create this influence, ranging from highly controlling and result oriented through to softer, people-focused approaches.
7 Tips for Leadership
The following tips are focused on improving leadership outcomes through motivating followers (including employees) to achieve their highest and best levels of accomplishment.
1. Be Authentic
Authenticity is the quality or condition of being trustworthy or genuine.
If your actions are consistent with the words you speak and the gestures, tone, and volume that you use, then you are more likely to be viewed as worthy of trust. When other people feel they can trust you, they are more likely to listen to your message and heed your advice.
2. Act With Integrity
Integrity is the quality or condition of being whole or unimpaired.
Similar to authenticity, if you speak and act honestly and reliably then you will be seen as someone who can be relied upon to keep their promises. As a leader, this supports the development of trust in your relationships with followers.
Acting with integrity also means that you seek out and willingly accept feedback from others, which assist your own development and creates an environment of openness where others will be more willing and able to accept feedback from you.
3. Be Congruent
Congruence is the quality or condition of the quality or state of agreeing or corresponding.
In relation to leadership, congruency is about applying our stated principles and beliefs to ourselves first, before expecting others to follow.
Being congruent enables you to act as a role model for others, providing them with a living example of your principles in action. This avoids the infamous "do as I say, not as I do" model sometimes attempted unsuccessfully by parents with their children.
4. Contribute
Contribution is the giving of our resources including time, energy, ideas and knowledge to the wider community in order to support others.
You can clearly demonstrate leadership by actively participating in and supporting the communities that are relevant to the field you operate within and the team(s) you lead.
5. Collaborate
Collaboration is a process where two or more people or organizations work together towards achievement of common goals.
A collaborative leader understands the importance of also acting as a team player and in participating as part of the team for the benefit of all. This can be an effective way to achieve results and creates an environment of respect between yourself, as a leader, and those individuals whom you desire to follow you.
6. Pioneer
Pioneering refers to launching out into new and unexplored territories.
If you want to lead effectively, first make sure you have a clear idea of the direction or result you desire. Secondly, begin acting in ways that set an example for others to follow. As you trailblaze the new path, those around are more likely to be inspired to follow you.
7. Communicate Effectively
Communicate your vision and any specific actions you want to be taken using precise, succinct, clear, compelling, and inspirational language.
If you can communicate in a way that touches on the hopes, dreams and values of others then you will be more effective in influencing their behavior and, in the process, will build relationships that will support achieving your common goals.
Lead On
By utilizing these specific tips and also considering these 7 aspects of leadership more broadly as to how they operate within your life, you will be better able to take action as a confident and effective leader.
10 Bad Leadership Qualities to Avoid
I find it amazing to realize that there are many leaders of countries in the world who have been in power for decades who are now being overthrown by the populations who are rebelling. Why did it take so long for this to happen when it is obvious that the leaders were not very respected by other countries or honoured by their people.
Much of our training and literature focuses on the leadership traits that are desirable. This article will focus on 10 bad leadership qualities that should be avoided:
1. Dictatorship - This is a "my way or the highway" attitude that does not allow anyone else to have an opinion. World dictators believe that they are the only ones who have the ability to control their environment and will not stop at anything to retain this control.
2. Abuse - When a person or group hurts others emotionally, mentally, physically, financially or spiritually fear and terror rule. There are bullies involved in most environments of the world including business. Beware!
3. Deceit - When someone lies, those around that person do not trust anything that is said. A person tells one lie and then has to tell another to cover it up. Then a third lie is required as another cover up. This goes on and on until it gets to the point that the person forgets what the first lie was. It takes a good memory in order to be a liar.
4. Selfishness - When a leader is more interested in his or her own well-being, other people's needs are ignored or not met.
5. Greediness - Cutting corners raises the risk level for other people. For example, if you are running a coal mine and you do not spend money to ensure that safety is first, all the employees' lives are in jeopardy.
6. Addictions - Leaders who become involved in alcohol, drug, gambling or sexual addiction place these need ahead of everything else. As a result, their families, employees and co-workers have a low priority.
7. Incompetence - When someone pretends that they know what they are doing but is actually ignorant or incompetent, everyone loses. There are many times that it is not acceptable to "fake it until you make it", especially when others are depending on you.
8. Lacking communication skills - A leader must be able to communicate clearly so that others understand what is going on and how things should be done. Otherwise, when there is poor communication, civil war within the business or country can break out.
9. Being reclusive - A leader needs to be available to others who follow. If a person is reclusive and isolates from the world there is no leadership.
10. Untreated mental illness - Over the years I have worked with many people who have serious diagnosis but do well because they follow the treatment plan. At the same time, I have seen people who have very little wrong with them who cannot get out of bed each day. The key is the word "function" as those who cannot "function" in their own lives likely will not be able to help an organization function well.
Much of our training and literature focuses on the leadership traits that are desirable. This article will focus on 10 bad leadership qualities that should be avoided:
1. Dictatorship - This is a "my way or the highway" attitude that does not allow anyone else to have an opinion. World dictators believe that they are the only ones who have the ability to control their environment and will not stop at anything to retain this control.
2. Abuse - When a person or group hurts others emotionally, mentally, physically, financially or spiritually fear and terror rule. There are bullies involved in most environments of the world including business. Beware!
3. Deceit - When someone lies, those around that person do not trust anything that is said. A person tells one lie and then has to tell another to cover it up. Then a third lie is required as another cover up. This goes on and on until it gets to the point that the person forgets what the first lie was. It takes a good memory in order to be a liar.
4. Selfishness - When a leader is more interested in his or her own well-being, other people's needs are ignored or not met.
5. Greediness - Cutting corners raises the risk level for other people. For example, if you are running a coal mine and you do not spend money to ensure that safety is first, all the employees' lives are in jeopardy.
6. Addictions - Leaders who become involved in alcohol, drug, gambling or sexual addiction place these need ahead of everything else. As a result, their families, employees and co-workers have a low priority.
7. Incompetence - When someone pretends that they know what they are doing but is actually ignorant or incompetent, everyone loses. There are many times that it is not acceptable to "fake it until you make it", especially when others are depending on you.
8. Lacking communication skills - A leader must be able to communicate clearly so that others understand what is going on and how things should be done. Otherwise, when there is poor communication, civil war within the business or country can break out.
9. Being reclusive - A leader needs to be available to others who follow. If a person is reclusive and isolates from the world there is no leadership.
10. Untreated mental illness - Over the years I have worked with many people who have serious diagnosis but do well because they follow the treatment plan. At the same time, I have seen people who have very little wrong with them who cannot get out of bed each day. The key is the word "function" as those who cannot "function" in their own lives likely will not be able to help an organization function well.
