Intro to Management

A leader is a person who has a vision, a drive and a commitment to achieve that vision, and the skills to make it happen. To run an organization effectively, leaders must be able to strategize, set visions and priorities, build relationships, influence others, and make things happen. But if you ask followers what they need from leaders, the clear answer is trust, compassion, stability, and hope. Most often we think of leadership from the perspective of what an executive must do to create competitive advantage and build a business. But leading business success requires something even harder to gain than great ideas; it requires followers, collaborators, allies and other supporters. Having a title and authority will rarely gain a leader the kind of passionate support needed to draw out the best from the people who work for and with them.

People want my leaders to put their money where their mouth is. To show a clear line between what they say and what they do. They want leaders to be a role model, to be involved, to not assume they have all the answers, and to not be afraid to say they don't know. People do not want their leader to be afraid to ask for support. They want a leader to empower them and trust them with the power. To defend them, always believe the best of them and support them to ensure their best comes to light, and watch them strive to surpass every expectation.

The most important role a leader can play is to help each member of their team become the next leader.

The Charismatic Leader and the Transformational Leader can have many similarities, in that the Transformational Leader may well be charismatic. Their main difference is in their basic focus. Whereas the Transformational Leader has a basic focus of transforming the organization and, quite possibly, their followers, the Charismatic Leader may not want to change anything. Despite their charm and apparent concern, the Charismatic Leader may well be somewhat more concerned with...