Leadership

Leadership

Leadership is an ability to organize a group of people together and guide them to achieve a common goal. There are various theories to describe effective leadership. Some focus on the traits like personality, demographics (age, education) and taskrelated (achievement, initiative, and persistence) and others consider leadership as a set of behaviors1. In my experience, following leadership skills are necessary for a manager in an organization. It is vital for leaders/managers to communicate the targets regularly and make clear how each individual can contribute to it. Leaders should integrate individuals in decisions and capitalize on their ideas. If leaders/managers look at things also from associate’s point of view, they can get a better understanding of the issues and can make better decisions. It is also essential that leaders make clear decisions and demonstrate determination in implementing them. A leader should lead by goals. After delegating the tasks to associates, it is necessary to give them sufficient authority to perform. This generates trust and the good working environment. In addition, this also helps to develop a better accountability process. Good leaders/managers also focus on professional development of their associates. There are examples that advising and supporting the associates in their professional development not only boosts their intrinsic motivation but also increases the performance of organization. A good leader recognizes the strengths of associates and gives them regular feedback and also fair with constructive criticism.

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http://managementstudyguide.com/trait-theory-of-leadership.htm, last accessed 05.11.2012

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