A great leader carries certain distinctive traits that make him stand different from other people. Leaders are good in influencing the mind of other people and give them a direction to move. Leaders are visionary and innovative hence they know what is needed to be achieved and how that can be achieved. They provide solutions in a crisis situation with the help of their vision and innovative ideas. They know how to handle and act in un-common or odd circumstances. Good leaders are always expected to take a right decision when it is required. Good leaders always provide benefit to others in different forms like; politician, team leader, manager, social worker etc. this paper discusses several qualities and aspects of leadership and further discusses the model of leadership.
Life cycle of leader can be defined in various levels. Each level represents the maturity and skills of a leader. Level first reflect an individual who has position but do not have any authority and influence on the people. Leader at level second have authority but they lack of vision and communication skills. They often fail in expressing their ideas and thoughts. Leaders at level three are capable to provide something to their followers but they lack in guiding, empowering and motivating people. Leaders at level four possess all the qualities required for a great leader. Leaders at level four have all types of skilled inter-personal skills, technical skills, conceptual skills and tactical skills. They are highly creative, good negotiator and good human relationship managers. They know how they can achieve objectives and goals desired for welfare of community, organization and society.
Leaders always assess the requirement of people who are associated with them. Leader act and fight on behalf of his group to achieve the desired results. He develops a level of trust with his supporters and convinces them on his ideas and decisions. To maintain that trust level, a leader is expected to be ethical in nature and strong in character. Both of these characteristics ensure high moral values in the group and maintain a peaceful coexistence of people. Leader is always a role model for many and people seek his advice on multiple occasions thereby he should possesses high ethical values and guide people in right direction. Leader also has a great opportunity to resolve conflicting manner in a peaceful way. He can also guide people to serve the community. Behavior of the leaders represents good examples for the others and inspires the rest of the people to do and act for the betterment of the society.
Managers often play a role of leader in organizations though all managers can not be a leader. A Manager with certain skills and qualities only can be a good leader. Managers who can not take any initiative and unable to manage any critical situation can not be a leader. Managers who possess qualities of problem solving skills, team management, task execution, result oriented, and decision making can be a good leader. Managers who possess all these qualities act like a revenue enhancers or agents of change in the organization. They develop a strong bonding with team which helps in completing task on time and in maintaining transparent processes. They are able to maintain a healthy environment in the organization which is free from any kind of internal politics. With the help of decision making quality they often provide solutions in critical situation and increase revenue. Their Innovative ideas help organization in tapping opportunities and filling the gap in the market.
The mind of Leaders does not work in a single direction and they are multi – tasking. A leader has to be prompt and should be equipped with presence of mind. He has to be analytical, visionary and competent enough to handle any kind of situations immediately. Their thoughts and ideas are not limited to one field hence they can guide a big team or multiple divisions in the organization. They are helpful for their colleagues as well as for the management. They are inspiration and encouragement for others to follow their style. They are capable to motivate people by providing productive feedback, and guidance on how they can improve on their weaknesses. They praise people for good work and suggest corrective action in case of work not done correctly.
Leaders are good communicator and they know what is required to be communicated, when it has to be communicated and how it can be communicated effectively in order to achieve the desired results. They have the capability to express their ideas without any hesitation to gain supports of others. Communication is a very strong medium to influence the masses and it has often been observed that the effects of communication are very decisive for the leaders this way or that way. Leaders know this fact and history suggests that every great leader is a great orator be it Mahatma Gandhi, Adolf Hitler, Napoleon Bonaparte or any other leader. These leaders used to keep swivel the masses with their communication styles.
References
Charan, R. (2011). Leaders at All Levels: Deepening Your Talent Pool to Solve the Succession Crisis. San Francisco: John Wiley and Sons.
Francis J. Yammarino and Fred Dansereau. (2009). Multi-Level Issues in Organizational Behavior and Leadership. Bradford: Emerald Group Publishing.
