(Doctoral students must include the
following on the title page instead:
The essential task of leaders is to perfect how the things work in the organization. Changing the way “work works” is the essential foundation of leadership, according to Peter Cook (Cook, 2009). Therefore, the leader is the person who takes the organization to the next stage of development and improves processes to make them more effective and functional. This statement is true for several types of organization, such as bands, charities, and for-profit companies.
The Five L qualities of leaders are based on the activities they engage in every day working on improving the company. They are to lead, listen, learn, love, and lose with grace. Leaders do not necessarily have to lead from the front: they can also lead from the back, and observe the road ahead while allowing other members of the organization explore the opportunities. Leading is an essential skill that is obtained through learning and based on personal characteristics. Every leader’s style of managing people and organizations is different, based on their personality and preferences. Secondly, leaders listen to others, and learn from them. Many managers need to improve on this skill, in order to increase their insight into the views of employees and customers alike. Learning is a never-ending process, and this is true for leadership, as well. Leaders must pay attention to processes and look at what others doing; no matter if they happen to be employees, competitors, or customers. Learning is also important for self-improvement and development. Leaders must better themselves every day, to improve their skills and the organization. Leadership, as Cook (2009) confirms, is all about creating futures for other people, and the results greatly depend on the leader’s ability and skills to improve processes and outcomes. What Cook (2009) means by the fourth quality of leadership: love is unconditional compassion for people and goals. A leader must be passionate about the company, the mission, and vision to truly embrace positive change. This way, they can also create a “can do” atmosphere. Finally, leaders lose with grace. Maintaining a positive attitude and outlook when things are not going well is a quality that helped many good leaders overcome difficulties and create a change. The true leader will not blame others, but show responsibility and learn from mistakes.
I believe that the five L-s of leadership are learned attitudes, instead of qualities people are born with. There are no two approaches towards leadership that are the same, and it is up to the person to build on their strengths and learn from their weaknesses. This is the reason why self-development is important for leaders, as Cook (2009) confirms. Leadership skills are learned, but are based on individual competencies. There is no single way of being a good leader, in my opinion, but there are guidelines on improving one’s essential skills to lead people, learn from mistakes, organize activities, eliminate waste, and communicate effectively. Many aspects of leadership can be learned, but not simply from a textbook, but from self-assessment, as well. Therefore, I look at leadership as a product of continuous learning and development, skills acquisition, and communication.
In the music industry, leadership qualities can be expressed in several ways. First of all, leading a band is difficult, as every person has their own role in the group, and would like to assert their own views and personality on the end product of the band. Having a leader who moderates power struggles and helps members in their self-discovery, talent management, and creative initiatives is important. Likewise, listening to members in the band is important, as the music produced as a collaborative project has to be based on a shared view and vision of the members. Without the effective communication of projects, goals, and initiatives, some members might believe that their voices are not heard, and leave. Others would take advantage of a weak leader, and assert their will on the rest of the group. Love is essential, as running and managing a band requires a commitment and passion that helps leaders and members overcome difficulties and support each other. This is why leaders of bands must have unconditional compassion for the band as a whole and individual members alike. According to Zaleznik (1977), leaders have multidirectional influence, and this means that they do not only respond to ideas, but shape them as well. Kotter (1990) further states that leaders produce change. Listening to members and learning from them is a part of the process of transformation and the creation of new ideas, projects, and creative work in a band. Starting a band in the competitive creative world is also a challenge, and leaders are likely to come across failures and obstacles. If they can have a positive outlook and can lose with grace, they can learn from the mistakes and start again.
In business management and administration, it is necessary for individuals to understand their weaknesses and strengths. During my studies, I have been reflecting on the ideas of leadership several times, and completed various self-assessment projects in order to reveal my strongest and weakest leadership skills. Likewise, during courses, I listened to fellow students, trying to understand their views on the topic. This helped me form my own opinion. Still, experience and trying different things during management and study is another important element of self-development that is needed for becoming a true leader. From my personal experience, I know that I study best with the music on, and without distraction. Others are more collaborative and like discussing topics. Self-discovery and management are important for leadership in both business and education.
For somebody who would like to develop their L qualities in the next year, it is important to start with completing a personality and leadership skills test before starting the journey. This would reveal their strengths and development areas. Further, in order to lead, they would need to have a personal vision that they could clearly communicate with others. Practicing through presentations and clarifying ideas on paper would be a weekly exercise. Listening exercises would also be useful, and for this completing questionnaires or doing opinion surveys would be the best approach. Loving others and showing compassion would be improved through voluntary or charity work. Doing a few hours’ work in a local homeless shelter, or helping children improve their writing skills could be a good way of learning to be compassionate and show unconditional love. Learning from others can be exercised through participating in group work, or vocational training. Finally, learning from mistakes and losing with dignity requires reflection, therefore, the individual would need to keep a reflective journal of their leadership project.
References
Cook, P. Leadership Skills: Qualities of a Great Leader. 2009. Web.
Kotter, John P. What leaders really do. Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation, 1990.
Zaleznik, Abraham. "Managers and leaders: Are they different." (1977): 67-78.
