ONLINE DISCUSSION #10
During this and last week, I learned useful concepts about leadership, including conceptualization of leadership, description of leadership and a couple of pertinent case studies. Likewise, the skills and styles approach was presented through a practical know-how. I think that introduction to team leadership was the most significant gain of this learning. I believe that all information presented added to my knowledge and my view of leadership regarding the society I live in and the rest of the world. I found out that the nature of leadership can be both straightforward and complex. For example, power exertion is directly related to leadership and its manifestation process. People who exert power can make influence. This is their ability to influence action and attitudes of other people. Coercive power relates to leadership, too. Coercion can imply threats to make influence, since it involves manipulation with others. The world history has lots of coercive power examples that negatively changed the path for many nations. Power and leadership is perhaps one of the progressive features we see daily around us, in schools, in the government, etc. Power can also mean significant changes in society.
I perceive leaders as people who dominate others, in a way. What I found appealing from this learning is personal power as influencer. I wish to discuss with my peers a concept of power generation. Leaders are believed to have power, yet their actions should be meaningful to other people. What if managers who are given power to make decisions use it menacingly over others? For example, should a company manager use his power to achieve his personal goals instead of collective goals? What type of manger is a good role model for subordinates?
