Essay About Leadership

Effective Leadership Essay
In today's competitive world, leadership skills are crucial for both personal and professional
development. Leadership is an important function of management which helps an individual or a
business to maximize efficiency and to achieve goals. Leadership has different meanings to various
authors.Most commonly, leadership is defined as influence, that is, the art of influencing people so
that they will strive willingly and enthusiastically toward the achievement of group goals. (Koontz).
Leadership is the process of influencing the activities of either formal or informal group in the task
of goal setting and goal achievement. A leader is one whose magnetic personality innervates people
for some cause. Not by words, but by their actions is...show more content...
People requires good leadership skills at personal, professional and social level. Personal
leadership helps us to determine our desires, strengths and abilities. It means Knowing what we
want out of life; knowing what success is for us; what are our goals and how to achieve those
goals regardless of what other people think, say, or do. Personal leadership helps us to make our
present better and shape a good future. Good leadership is also important to run a business. Usually,
in companies, management stresses more on decision– making skills. They believe a timely and
smart decision will help their company to succeed. They forget that implementation of those
decisions are as important as making those decision. Without a proper implementation , there will
be no results. Like there is a saying that, it's easier to said than done. Similarly, making a decision
will change nothing, its how to get things done in a timely and an effective way will help an
organization to accomplish their goals. Leadership is crucial in implementing decisions correctly
and successfully. Each of us understand importance of leadership when it comes to our country. We
all try to vote for the best person in elections because it matters who is in office. President make
decisions concerning our lives, country, and the world. As a nation, we place no greater
responsibility on any one individual than we do on the president. Therefore, leadership
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Essay about The Importance of Leadership
As we all know, leadership is ubiquitous in our daily life. From nation to business, and even in
family, leadership indisputably plays the main game. In the business world, as likely or not,
leadership, which is the field of subject that most researchers scrutinise, is deemed as the principal
vitamin for a robust organisation. Literally, what is the true meaning ofleadership? According to the
Blackwood Encyclopaedia of Sociology, leadership is depicted as the process of inspiring, directing,
coordinating, motivating, and mentoring individuals, and/or organisations (Pitsis, 2007). With
respect to leadership, leaders in an organisation have to increase the work productivity of employees
so as to bring about improved employee performance. In...show more content...
Transactional leadership is the exchange between the superior and subordinate in which both sides
can receive desirable values; transformational leadership, however, is the representative of the
personal value systems including end values like justice and integrity, which cannot be exchanged
between individuals, yet more importantly, it changes employees' goals and beliefs (Humphreys &
Einstein, 2003). At present, it is claimed that emotional intelligence has become increasingly popular
as a measure for identifying potential leaders, and it is utilised as a tool for developing effective
leadership skills to bring about maximum employee performance. Additionally, it is stated as well
that effective leaders are those who can display a transformational rather than transactional
leadership style. As a matter of fact, manager or leader who has the ability to monitor emotions both
within one and others belongs to the key manifestation of transformational leadership, which is
vitally important to stimulate employees intellectually by presenting them with challenging new
ideas and various approaches to tackle problems, thereby uplifting their performance with creative
thinking and flexible planning (Palmer, Walls, Burgess, & Stough, 2001).
In a macro view of exalting work performance, Branson, Welch and Barnevik all initiate a sense of
creative reconstruction in

Motivation and Leadership Essay
Motivation and Leadership are intrinsically linked in the fact that one allows an easement in the
process of the other. Without the ability to use the mutual relationship of leadership to influence
the motivators of followers, leaders stagnate and are limited by their own inability to accomplish
all that must be for real change to occur. In less Rostonian terms (that is, based on Rost (1993)),
without a motivated group of followers leaders are stranded and not achieving to a level of
excellence. This paper will discuss some areas of importance for motivation in leadership as well as
an application to leadership theory and a discussion on personal motivators. Motivation is the reason
or purpose behind action, or what causes one to act in...show more content...
Osland, et al. (2007) provide a good introduction to three basic motivational content theories. The
first theory is Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs that proposes man is motivated by a lack in the one or
more of the five common needs. The needs that Maslow identifies are physiological, safety, social
belonging, self–esteem, and self–actualization. Maslow believed that one fills needs from the most
basic (like food and water) to the highest level (self–actualization). Maslow's ideas are easy to relate
to and attempt to provide an all–inclusive approach to the concept of motivation; however, there is
little evidence to support the idea that man cannot have self–actualization without the other more
basic needs first satisfied. The second content theory Osland, et al. discuss is McCelland's learned
needs. McCelland states that man is motivated by one of three things: achievement, power, or
affiliation – or a mixture of the three. Each of these needs can possess a negative or positive
connotation or implementation, but it is argued that people motivated by affiliation make better
leaders. The third theory presented is McGregor's Theory X and Theory Y. McGregor asserts that
Theory X people or employees are inherently lazy and must be controlled and forced to act, whereas
Theory Y people are self–controlled, motivated, and ambitious. Steers, et al. (1996) identify an
additional theory of motivation, which builds on Maslow's

Essay about Leadership
Q1: From your perspective, based on the video and articles for this activity, how did GE create a
growth culture important and what are the keys to being an innovative organization? Please
explain each. Ans:For an organization to continually grow, innovation must be embedded in its
culture. Innovation is a behavior that is required to be a part of every employee's job. This
necessitates an organization to present its employees with platforms wherein they can express their
ideas such as the LIG program, as in the case of General Electric, to deliberate organic growth day
in and day out. Innovation is effectively advertized in an organization where managers individually
and collectively lead by example by way of their behavior, their...show more content...
To achieve this goal the organization ought to invest time and money "now", without affecting its
current performance, i.e. innovation requires time and resources which should be planned for in
such a way that it doesn't affect the organization's current functions. This implies that the company
must boast of a very strong core to continue its current operations while focusing on the future.
Creating new concepts with a common vocabulary: The creation of new concepts and a novel
vocabulary to go along with it is also one of the keys to innovation. Providing new framework and
ideas is critical. New terms that express these ideas better are also equally important, apart from
accelerating the change process they make the objectives very clear to personnel who are
responsible for executing the proposed plan. Action/ Execution Plan: The key to innovation also lies
in a clear and achievable execution/ action plan. The plan should be such that it is made by the team
members themselves. This would initiate a sentiment of ownership and the team would collectively
be obliged to follow it through. Therefore, any number of innovation initiatives that are undertaken
must be executed in order to reap their benefits in future. Q2:How did home depot address the
challenge of changing their culture? Are these strategies transferrable to other organizations? Why or
why not? Ans:Well before affecting

Essay about Leadership
Leadership The book entitled Successful Leadership by, Carol O' Conner discusses seven areas that
are essential for successful leadership. Developing Awareness, understanding people, power and
authority, communication, decision making, creating a vision, and taking charge are important
leadership requirements and skills. Seven chapters in this book are based on the seven concepts just
mentioned. Chapter 1 Developing Awareness covers four aspects of the development of
self–awareness: leadership basics, self – assessment, following the leader, and personal development.
Three common beliefs about leadership are leaders are born to their role, certain qualities make a
leader, and situations create leaders who emerge to meet the...show more content...
The hierarchy of needs is generally presented in the form of a pyramid. Meaning, purpose is at the
top, next self–confidence, creativity, individual achievement, then family, friends, caring
relationships, followed by personal safety and a source of income, and at the bottom is food,
clothing, and shelter. This model suggests motivation develops in a sequence. Leaders need to
recognize each individual's starting point and build upon this. Individuals develop a strategy to
obtain their needs by using one of these patterns. Individuals are ambitious and assertive, caring and
supportive, and analytic and cautious. Leaders need to encourage their followers to be more
self–aware of their behaviors. The creation of positive relationships and mutual respect is a major
source of inspiration for both leaders and followers. The leader's task is to create bonds of mutual
respect between themselves and their supporters. Chapter 3 is called Power and Authority. This
chapter explores topics that concern the proper exercise of power and authority: managing power,
styles of leadership, adapting to events, and delegation. There are four kinds of power: designated,
expert, charismatic, and information. Designated power depends upon a specific and formally
recognized organizational role. Expert power depends upon the personal talents, skills, and
experience of the individuals who posses

Essay on Effective Leadership
Effective Leadership A successful leader is most importantly a mentor. This person grooms his or
her staff to take his or her place, by teaching, inspiring and helping one to reach personal goals as
well as the goals of the organization. Sam Adams, one of the leaders of the Boston Tea Party, was
quoted as saying: "Outstanding leaders go out of the way to boost the self–esteem of their personnel.
If people believe in themselves, it's amazing what they can accomplish (Government Leaders, 2011)."
Someone with a Successful Leadership Style I had the privilege of working with a successful leader
who embodied the belief of Sam Adams. Her name was Lucy Parkin and I worked with her early in
my career. This working relationship has had a...show more content...
She not only believed in her staff, but in the company we worked for. It has been close to 20
years since I worked with Lucy, but I still remember her leadership style and it has had lasting
effects on the way I lead. Communication skills are extremely important in an effective leader. A
strong leader is able listen to her staff and communicates where they need to go to meet the goals of
the organization. This requires listening but also speaking in a way that can be easily understood, so
that everyone on the team knows what the goals are and how to meet them. She took the time to
know us as individuals and took an interest in our personal lives. People want to know that they
matter and that they have an opportunity to express that value in their work and actions
(Porter–O'Grady & Malloch, 2007). We knew that she cared and it motivated us to do our best.
Morale was very high in her department because of these attributes.
Comparing My Leadership Style I have had the opportunity to lead and use these traits of a
successful leader. The opportunities have been both in paid positions and also in volunteer work.
When my mentor and leader, Lucy Parkin, left the organization, I was chosen to lead the
department. I followed in her footsteps and used many of the examples that she had given me. I
believed in my team and knew their strengths and their weaknesses. I developed strong
communications skills that allowed me to listen to my team and know their

Essay on Management and Leadership
Successful organizations have strong leaders and managers that develop, support and encourage
employee longevity within a company. There is a significant difference between leadership and
management however both skills have to be used collectively and both are important to a profitable
organization. Leadership is a notion of communicating an organization's vision, whereas management
is more of the implementation of the organization's vision. The manager typically carries out the
responsibilities written by the organization and has a good team underneath them to carry out the
duties and meet the goals. Most companies have a mission statement that mirrors and supports a
company's vision. When referring leadership and management, the two...show more content...
According to Hersey and Blanchard (1998), there are three areas required for effective leadership.
Technical skills, which includes clinical expertise and knowledge as it pertains to nursing.
Secondly, human skills, which is the ability and judgment to work with people in leadership roles.
And lastly, conceptual skills which is the ability to understand the complexities of overall
organization and figure out how and where one's own strengths of management fits into the overall
organization (Cherry, Jacob 2011). Leadership is unique compared to any other role because of its
responsibility for people. Good leaders are followed merely because they have gained people's trust
and respect.
Management:
Management involves the tactical aspect of day to day functions and who keeps control of the
work environment to make sure the organization is moving forward and in the same direction of
the company's vision. Managers are faced with many responsibilities each day, one of which is
managing people. The goal of a successful manager is to achieve the highest productivity of the
organization by way of the people he/she manages. A manager is more of a problem solver and
takes care of work areas relating to people management, time management, decision making etc.
According to Lewin (1951) and White & Lippit (1960), there are three prevalent management
behavior styles: Authoritarian, democratic and laissez–fare (Cherry,

Business Leadership Essay
In corporate America the term used to describe a person in a position of power is "Manager". A
leader can be a manager, but a manager is not necessarily a leader. Leaders motivate, challenge,
and influence others to achieve goals. Great leaders have the necessary skills and attributes
which allow them to connect with the team and organization. Being a leader is not the same as
managing an organization. Leader's posses the interpersonal skills needed to influence others to
achieve a goal willingly. Leading is a major part of a manager's job. Leaders do not need to be a
manager to lead people, but managers must know how to lead as well as manage. Each person in a
company brings his or her own experiences, values, and beliefs to the...show more content...
Bova (2008) states that the following four characteristics are found in good leaders: they believe in
open communication, they do not stick with the status quo, they are selective in what they measure,
and they have passion for values and culture. Each characteristic is essential to a healthy
organizational culture. When an employee feels he or she has open communication with a leader,
they are more inclined to share if problems arise whether or not work related. Non–work related
issues may eventually take a toll on an employee's performance at work. However, with open
communication, an employee feels comfortable in apprising the leader of a situation so that
future problems are avoided. Not all managers are leaders and not all leaders are managers. The
biggest difference between management and leadership is people skills. In determining if a
person is a leader or a manager, Bova (2008) lists some differences with which many a person
would agree. One difference is that a manager directs people. Managers essentially tell employees
to get the job done. Many people work on autopilot until their work shift ends. However, people will
follow a leader. Leaders inspire others to want to strive for their best and to go beyond their normal
duties. Another difference between managers and leaders is that managers tend to control or
micromanage their department. Such management style causes employees to be unhappy and
possibly rebel. Under these types of

Servant Leadership Essay
Servant Leadership
What is it? The phrase "Servant Leadership" was coined by Robert K. Greenleaf in The Servant as
a Leader, an essay he first published in 1970 ("What is servant," ). The servant leader serves first,
while aspiring to lead second. The servant leader serves the people that he or she leads, implying
employees are an end in themselves rather than a means to organizational purpose or bottom–line.
Servant leadership is meant to replace a command and control, top–down, model of management.
Servant leadership encourages collaboration, trust, foresight, listening, and the ethical use of power
and empowerment. A few famous examples of servant leaders are George Washington, Gandi and
Caesar Chavez.
Key Principles In a...show more content...
8.Stewardship
Greenleaf's view of all institutions was one in which CEO's, staff, directors and trustees all play
significant roles in holding institutions in trust for the greater good of society.
9.Commitment to the Growth of People
Leaders believe people have an intrinsic value beyond tangible contributions as workers. As a result,
genuine interest in the spiritual, professional and personal growth of all employees is demonstrated.
10.Building Community
Leaders seek to identify a means for building a sense of community among those who work in a
given institution.
Differences from Other Styles In the approach on general leadership characteristics, the
fundamental difference is authentic leaderships strive to be "real", whereas servant leaders strive
to be "right." Servant leadership is a style that lays down a set of characteristics that all leaders are
supposed to emulate to attain success, and tries to shape the character and personality of the leader.
On the other hand, authentic leaders tend to rely on their own unique set of experiences and style
that has been learned and developed throughout their career. The main difference between servant
and authentic styles, when applying into practice, is the serving of others. One of the primary
applications is to give priority to the interest of others. Servant leaders exercise their duty

Essay on The Leadership Challenge
One of the topics in organizational development today is leadership. Leadership is what individuals
do to mobilize other people in organizations and communities. According to Kouzes & Posner, there
are five practices and ten commitments of exemplary leadership. The five practices of exemplary
leadership include: Model the way, inspire a shared vision, challenge the process, enable others to
act, and encourage the heart. In the Leadership Challenge, Kouzes and Posner found similar patterns
and actions of leadership that created the essentials to achieve success. Utilizing the research
conducted by Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner, I have created a leadership plan that would apply to the
Admission Department at Texas Wesleyan University. The
...show more content...
Once I have found my voice, I need to set an example and be a role model to my team. I think it
would be beneficial to create an award system that would allow people in our department to
nominate coworkers who have done an amazing job or went out of their way to help our
department. People who earn the award can leave early from work on a day of their choosing.
Having an award system that recognizes our staff will reinforce our department's shared values.
The second practice is to inspire a Shared Vision. A leader should be able to imagine a shared
vision for the future. Next, a leader should be able to inspire others to believe in the common vision.
Leadership is about engaging with others to solve problems. Leaders need to know what values,
hopes, and aspirations that their team wants to utilize for success.
Leaders are able to inspire a shared vision by imagining the possibilities and finding a common
purpose within their team. Currently, my department is trying to revamp their image. Before I
started working at Texas Wesleyan, our department had developed a bad reputation for accepting the
status quo and not advancing our University to the next level. As a leader, I must listen to my fellow
staff members and initiate a conversation about what we want our legacy to be as a department.
The third practice is to Challenge the Process. As I have mentioned earlier, one of the greatest
challenges in leadership is changing the

Leadership Development Plan Essay
Running head: LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PLAN
Leadership Development Plan
Marcus N.T. Smith
University of Phoenix
LDR 711– Leadership Theory and Practice
Dr. Jane Armstrong
One of the most important aspects of leadership is self–knowledge and particularly awareness of
your priorities and values. As a leader it is imperative to improve your leadership ability on an
everyday basis. Great leaders have great strategic dreams, visions of what could be and what they
think should be. In this paper I will be discussing my plan and the theories that support my plan. I
will also be discussing my leadership strengths and weaknesses...show more content...
According to Yukl (2006), much of the skill essential for effective leadership is learned from
experience rather than from formal training programs. A lifetime learner is accepting that you are
never finished educating yourself and by continuing to educate yourself, you become self–aware that
learning is an ongoing process that cannot be completed. According to Yukl (2006), leadership
training can take many forms, from short workshops that last only a few hours and focus on a
narrow set of skills, to programs that last for a year or more and cover a wide range of skills.
The leader that I am today is confident but still inexperienced. I still have plenty to learn in order
to be the leader I want to be in the future. I want to be a leader who is always striving for
perfection and always keeping an open mind to the possibility of change and new leadership
techniques. Nahavandi states (2006), despite our knowledge, there is also much we still do not
know. Leadership as we traditionally know it–command and control–does not address the rapid
social, cultural, and organizational changes that are occurring globally (Nahavandi, 2006). This is
why we need to be always vigilant and open minded to the new theories that are always being
introduced in this global society. According to Nahavandi (2006), future leaders must

Definition Essay Leadership
Domenick Caruso
November 14th 2010
Personal Essay
What is Leadership?
Leadership is defined as the position of a leader, the ability to lead. I assure you it is much more then
that. Being a leader is not easy, I have learned from personal experience. Being a captain of a
football team is hard work. It takes guts to stand up and be a leader. Leadership is respect. Respect by
others. You can't force people to respect you; you've got to earn it. A good leader earns respect
from his, or her, peers. They know he is their leader and when he tells them to do something, they
do it, and they respect his position. A captain deserves respect from his teammates. The respect your
team has for you helps drive your team to do their...show more content...
When he yells, he strikes fear into his comrades. Along with leading by example, a captain should
be able to speak up. When a teammate is harming the team he should speak up and let them know
to stop what they are doing or to leave. A leader shouldn't be quite and expect people to listen and
follow them, he needs to speak up and take action.
Finally, Leadership is work. A leader works harder than anyone else and they know they need to
do so. A captain knows that he has to push himself to work above everyone else. He should run
faster, hit harder, and block better than anyone else on the team. If a captain works harder than
anyone else, then everything comes together. He earns respect; he takes responsibility, and leads
by example. Believe me, being a leader is not an easy job. If you can accomplish all these things
then you can be a true leader. From my own experience, being a captain is not easy. Even I
struggle with these qualities. The pressure of being a leader of is overwhelming, and takes hard
work to accomplish. "Leaders are made, they are not born. They are made by hard effort, which is
the price which all of us must pay to achieve any goal that is worthwhile," by Vince

What Leadership Means to Me Essay
My idea of leadership is being able to inspire others, motivate, set a vision, communicate, respect
others, and of course, lead by example. A leader must have an honest understanding of who they
are, what they know, and what they are capable of. To be a successful leader, you have to be able to
convince your followers, not just yourself or your superiors, that you are worthy of being
followed. In my opinion, this can build confidence in their followers to have faith in you, in order to
be able to lead. I strongly believe that good leaders are made rather, and not born. If you have the
desire and willpower, you can become an effective leader. Good leaders are developed through a
never ending process of self–study, education, training, and...show more content...
The way in which I communicate either builds or can harm the relationship between my soldier
and I. When an important moment of discussion arises, I am always prepared to appropriately
handle the situation at hand. More than anything else, I believe as a leader it is always important
to have great social skills in order to be communicative with clarity and objectiveness, and to have
a good relationship with the ones I lead. As a leader, I understand the meaning of recognition and
praise when one is doing a good job, which too is significantly important. A leader is not always
the first to have an idea, but should be the one who is always seeking out new solutions. One way
of being a productive leader is discovering new ways to accomplish a set of tasks while
maintaining a positive attitude. If a soldier is demonstrating a bad attitude because he feels that
he can not accomplish a task then my job as a leader, would be to steadily encourage that soldier
to work at being all that he can be. A leader to me, does not need to always know the answer, but
believes it to be important to have the initiative to make an answer appear. One form of bad
leadership would be an NCO performing or demonstrating a task that he knows nothing about in
front of his soldiers. In the result of the NCO not performing or demonstrating the task at hand
correctly, the soldiers then become incapable of knowing the proper ways of that task. However, if
that NCO had

Leadership and Change Essay
Change is when a person does not follow their everyday routine. They may want to try something
different, or be forced to. Change can be for the good and the bad. Places can deal with change
ranging from the weather, to the animals present, or the seasons changing. Also, objects can deal
with change too. Objects like an iceberg can start to melt, or a forest fire can kill many trees in an
area. As a human, we are the ones deciding on change. We are in a position to make big decisions
and possibly even become a leader in order for change to happen. If one person starts to change,
others will follow and hopefully, the change benefits all. Change affects us in the work place,
participating on a team, and in society....show more content...
If a leader took initiative to show others the seriousness of global warming, we could save animals
lives. The penguins from the book Our Iceberg is Melting, had a mixture of emotions while
dealing with change. Some embraced the change of moving icebergs while others tried to
convince the others moving was a bad idea. The penguins embraced change by having Fred
discover their iceberg was in danger. He then told Alice, who is a penguin with higher authority
and they formed a bigger team of penguins. "None of those with whom Alice spoke showed any
enthusiasm about the idea of swimming into a big dark cave" (Our Iceberg pg 20). The team of
penguins brought the idea of changing icebergs to the colonies attention and had their scouts
search for a new home. After searching, the scouts found a new iceberg which was safer for the
penguins and in the end, most of the penguins adapted to their new home and made new
traditions. The move was a success and some of the penguins who were originally against the
change are happier with the new iceberg. This past year the Stockton Softball team hired a new
coach to add our staff. The hitting coach was new to all the returning players because we had never
had a coach specifically for hitting and a new addition to the staff. The whole team and I had to
adapt to change because the new coach had new rules, expectations, and

Essay about Leadership in Early Childhood
Leadership is a sociocultural construct underpinned by the beliefs and values of a society
(Waniganayake, Cheeseman, Fenech, Hadley, & Shepherd, 2012). Leadership in early childhood
have shifted the focus from one designated leader into a more collective approach – distributed
leadership, which is not about delegating. As Cheeseman (2012) states, in early childhood settings,
attention is often directed at administrative and management leadership (Waniganayake et al., 2012);
however it is important to have a designated leader in the areas of development and implementation
of curriculum and pedagogy – being the educational leader as a requirement of the National Quality
Framework – whilst at the same time see educational leadership as a...show more content...
One will examine the underlying philosophies, theories and principles that shape their professional
beliefs about children's learning (Brown, et al., 2012; Waniganayake et al., 2012; Duignan, 2006).
For any obstacles they may encounter, through the contingency theory, an educational leader will
work with the appropriate style of leadership most suitable in that circumstance (Rodd, 2006), and
respond to various situations in times of change by critically reflecting on the purposes they see for
their setting and the goals they are aiming to achieve with children and families. Understanding from
the transformational theory, an educational leader will be inspiring others with visions that can
enable the team to be directed and motivated toward creating 'a culture of learning and professional
growth' (Duignan, 2006; Waniganayake et al., 2012; Sinclair, 2007; Rodd, 2006; Siraj–Blatchford
and Manni, 2006; ACECQA, 2013). Moreover, distributed leadership approach, which falls under
the transformational theory, is seen in the educational leader as they work collaboratively with
others towards the same vision (Rodd, 2006). For instance, taken from ACEQA (2013), the
educational leader would examine routines with each of the room leaders, and how to make them
more effective for children's learning experiences. Here, the educational leader is not only guiding
staff along, but also problem–solving

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