Being People-oriented
Question:
Discuss about the Exploring characteristics that differentiate leaders.
Leaders help their own selves as well the others who work under them to do the right things. They set a direction, put forward an inspiring vision and try to create something new each time. Leadership is about the mapping out where a person needs to go or to win as a team and the procedure of engaging in leadership is always dynamic, exciting and inspiring. It is the duty of efficient leaders to work towards guiding their subordinates in a positive direction. All in all, it can be said that leaders help in the creation of a realistic, convincing and an attractive vision for the future in addition to motivating and inspiring people and properly coaching them (Blanchard & Miller, 2014). The underlying principle which makes great leaders is always the ability to learn and to pave the way so that others can learn in tandem with the changing times and scenario. The present situation of the world is extremely competitive and it requires everyone to be leaders in their own ways. Leadership development and expertise paves the way for the positive tackling of any available situation which might not have been possible otherwise (Hargreaves & Fink, 2012).
Effective leaders embody certain vital characteristics, which help them as well as their organisations to succeed. The following are the key characteristics of great leaders all over the world.
It is believed that the leaders are as good as the people whom they lead. In order to become an effective team leader, a person always needs to stay in contact with the team dynamics. It is crucial that a leader knows how to read the people who are working under him. They need to take a genuine interest in the mood of the group. They also need to care about the needs of each of the individuals. The skills related to the members of the group need to be improved at all times (Bolman & Deal, 2017). The leaders need to make an effort to know people. This can be possible by proper interaction, by means of any sort of meditative or other team-teaching techniques. Leaders can also take training in the soft skills development and its understanding to know their teams better. It has been seen that most of the greatest leaders of the world have remained people-oriented in order to succeed.
Nelson Mandela can be considered to be an example of a people oriented leader. He was the first president of South Africa who was elected democratically after his fight for human rights and intolerance. He also faced huge hardships in accomplishing whatever he wanted for his country. He was a great example of a leader. He not only possessed the qualities of an amazing leader but also was primarily a people oriented leader in the sense that he successfully engaged with all the people for making them more tolerant and supportive.
There are certain risky or complicated decisions which leaders need to take despite the hardships involved. In these situations the members of the team look up to the leaders for inspiration. These leaders despite their tough decisions take charge and ensure the best course of action. They also encourage the people to have faith in the decisions which they take for the betterment of their organisation as a whole (McDonald, 2015).
Making Tough Decisions
Larry Page and Sergey Brin are examples of those leaders who took quite harsh and serious decisions for the success of their company but nevertheless where trusted and respected by their followers and team members. In case they did not take such crucial decisions in times of need their company could fail at any moment as it depended on the simultaneous working of a majority of factors.
Successful leaders possess the vision which helps in inspiring and carries teams ahead. These leaders have the capability of seeing the long term goals of a particular team and the members of the team at the same time. It is a characteristic of these leaders to look ahead and analyze each step correctly. The positive and strategic thinking is at the core of any modern business in the present times. This is also applicable in case of modern businesses and the modern form of leadership. Leaders in order to be successful should also have proper vision and the right choices at each step. Leaders with the right step and strategy move ahead in step as well as above in vision (Daft, 2014).
Fidel Castro was one of the leaders who was the face of Cuban revolution. He went on to become the president of the country and devised the revolution at a time when he was experiencing many crises and even assassination attempts against his life. He proved himself as a great leader and commander and his vision was responsible for getting Cuba where it was at present (Roberto, 2013).
Leading from the front implies the qualities which leaders exemplify by going first themselves. In several cases this is accomplished by the leader who does the tough and noteworthy things first in order to give an idea and the required faith that it can be done. People might not believe certain things when leaders tell them to do something without giving suitable proof themselves (Lieberman, 2013). The situation becomes completely different when the leaders themselves demonstrate what actually needs to be done. The most famous and real leaders of the world believe in doing anything before they ask their subordinates or team members to do anything. Leaders should motivate others through their own actions. Successful leaders have always taught by effective implementation (Spillane, 2012).
Example of a leader who has always led motivated from the front is that of Bill Gates. He always ensured that his work was something which he loved doing.
Top leaders also need to be balanced, loyal as well as compassionate towards their subordinates. This is to ensure that their subordinates enjoy working under them. Great leaders are also extremely calm and they do not panic at the onset of every situation or any sort of trouble. On the contrary they make calm and rational decisions which are aligned with their business strategies. It is bound to be difficult for employees to work under some person whom they do not respect. Leaders can earn that respect by backing up their subordinates when needed and also by taking decisions which are ethically and morally responsible and being kind and compassionate towards others in the workplace. Leaders cannot expect others to be compassionate and exhibit these good qualities if they themselves do not lead by example (Goleman, 2017).
Possessing a Vision
One of the most emotionally balanced and compassionate leaders, is Mother Teresa. The qualities of calmness and compassion have also been embodied by her to the fullest.
Another key characteristic of the top leaders of the world is being accountable for whatever mistakes they or their teams have committed as a whole which has had any sort of negative impact on the organisation. Good leaders always accept responsibility for the outcomes which are expected of them. Leaders who are accountable do not blame others. Neither do these leaders blame the external environment. Employees always trust leaders who are accountable. There is a certain sense of dependability which is associated with leaders who are accountable. People who work under accountable leaders know that problems and obstacles will be taken care of in their due course (Hargreaves & Fink, 2012).
Steve Jobs is one of the greatest examples of accountable leaders in the world. He had answers for every situation which his company had to go through.
Based on the different qualities of the most famous leaders of the world which have been discussed above, I feel that there are certain factors which I embody as my strengths and there are some which are my weaknesses.
I always try to remain accountable for any of the decisions which I take in my life. Specifically in case these decisions have an impact on other people around me. Being accountable for my actions gives me a sense of confidence and allows others also to have a trust in me.
I always try to lead by example and lead from the front. This is because of the reason that showing that anything is possible by doing it by one’s own self is one of the most crucial decisions for any individual who wishes to be a leader. Sometimes people are frightened to take up something. In such cases if they are shown the positive path forward, they follow easily. I even try to solve problems as best as I can and try to keep an example in front of others.
I consider myself to be extremely people oriented in the sense that I successfully cater to the needs of the people to whom I am answerable. I try to keep the needs and requirements of all the people in mind before I keep my own.
One of my most severe weak points is the fact that I am emotionally imbalanced. I often get sentimental and emotional and this mental weakness often harms the decisions which I intend to take.
My zeal and over the top confidence often gets in the way of my taking decisions and in these situations I lose my vision of what I had set out to do. This lack of vision often harms my plan of action which I intend to keep in mind.
In certain situations I fall short in taking decisions which are hard and very difficult to abide by. It is my worry of the future and my sensitivity which comes into the picture. Due to this I fail to take mentally challenging hard decisions.
Leading from the Front
I have grown up in a nuclear family. Despite this fact we have always remained connected with our immediate neighbours and relatives. I have been always taught to be responsible and dutiful towards my elders. My parents have played a huge role in shaping my personality and my life beautifully. I have tried to understand the importance of living in good as well as hard times with equal composure and sense of responsibility. The charitable activities of my parents have helped to inculcate a sense of charity in my mind and I try to give as much as I can at all times to people who really need it. It is sometimes true that I get emotional or weak in difficult situations but I try to learn as much as I can from mistakes and continue to remain clam and composed even in trying circumstances.
Mother Teresa was one of the greatest leaders and care givers of all times. She had risen to great heights and had overcome all odds to win the hearts of millions of people worldwide. She served the poor, orphaned and helpless people on the verge of death for more than forty five years and never was tired of providing unending service to them. She was someone who did not limit her service to only a certain section of the population, instead she lend her helping hands to all and sundry.
My strengths or even weaknesses are not comparable to Mother Teresa in any way. He is one of the greatest visionary and transformational leaders of the world. She embodied almost all the qualities of a great leader as well as of a great human being.
I consider myself to be people oriented but Mother Teresa was one of the most people oriented leaders of all time. She was not only concerned about the people of all spheres of the society but gave her all in her unthankful and effortless service towards humanity.
She always was accountable for all her actions and in fact took up responsibility of the people who were hurt and injured on her own account. She lead from the front always. In fact she did not stop helping people even if there was nobody on her side.
All my weaknesses namely emotional imbalance, incapability to take hard decisions or lack of vision were the biggest strengths of Mother Teresa. At start of missionary work she barely had a couple of saris and few pennies despite which continued on her path of care and help for the needy. She was extremely simple and humble and never cared for her own comforts. She was extremely courageous in helping the people who were suffering from leprosy. I feel that she is the leader which every person should look up to and follow.
It is necessary for every person to work on his or her strengths in order to succeed in their lives. It is not possible for every person to be perfect. That does not mean that they should not strive to be better. It is clear from my personal analysis that I have certain weaknesses which include my emotional instability, my lack of vision and my incapability to take hard decisions. I need to improve on my weaknesses to emerge a better person as well as a better leader.
Being Compassionate and Loyal
There are several opportunities for my development as a good leader. The following factors can help me become a better leader and work on my weaknesses.
- Exercising control: In case I can practice when to control myself I can grow as an individual. I have to make the effort to control my emotions and sensitivity specifically at times when it is not required. It will also help me to become a strong individual both mentally as well as emotionally.
- Confidence: It will help me become even more accountable for my actions and improve more on my strengths as a good leader. If I show confidence in each of my decisions it will also improve other’s trust in me and make me a successful person as a whole.
- Improvement in communication: in case the communication capabilities are improved they help in being much more transparent and understandable with regard to whatever I want to do or convey. It will allow me to indicate reasons and possibilities for my actions better.
There are certain ways in which a person can work on his or her development to become a better leader, of which the following strategies can be implemented by me to improve myself as a leader.
- Focussing on the positives: dwelling on the negatives in life is never good for any person let alone a leader. It is always necessary to focus on the positives in life and at the same time learn from the mistakes which one commits.
- Creativity and its encouragement: in case creativity is encouraged at all facets of life it is bound to lead to some great discoveries and ultimately success. There should be opportunities in my life as well which will allow me to brainstorm and come up with opportunities for growth and success.
- Understanding my own motivation: It is crucial to understand and realise what actually makes me click. It is more likely for me to succeed in case I operate in a environment which I love and makes me feel positive, energized and happy.
- Developing situational awareness: Developing proper awareness of any situation which an individual might be faced with in their lives might ultimately help them in being prepared for any possible scenario in their respective lives.
There are several indicators of success as a proper leader. The best way to understand if I am good enough is to conduct a self assessment on my capabilities every now and then to indicate that I am on the right track. In case I find that I am embodying the characteristics of successful leaders I can conclude that I have been successful as a leader. The factors I should assess myself on include that of
- Risk taker
- People oriented
- Positivity
- Hardworking
- Sensitive to needs of the team
- Team player
- accountable
There are certain resources which might help me in becoming a successful and a better leader. In case I need to understand the leadership styles of different leaders I might need books or other reading material. Enrolment in meditation centres might also cost me a certain amount of money.
In addition to this I also have to devote certain amount of time daily for meditation and thoughtful introspection as to what things I can do better. I might also need a medium of transport to move from one place to another.
Apart from this I might also need to utilize technology to my advantage. It will also help me perform to the best of my ability. It will also help me in gaining theoretical knowledge on sports or meditation topics or any other issues.
I wish to work on the particular strategies to become a successful leader. The following possible plans might help me overcome my issues and help me become a better leader and a better human being in future.
- Doing mediation on a daily basis for a certain time frame. This will help overcome my irrational thoughts and deep sensitivities.
- Reading spiritual and helpful books in order to enhance my skills and capabilities as a reader.
- Engaging in any form of sport or activity of exercise. This will help me understand the importance of working together and develop a sporty attitude.
Conclusion:
Being a good leader needs proper skills, understanding and sensitivity towards people. Leaders are people who can go to any extent for their followers or organisations wherever applicable. It is desirable for every person to strive to be a good leader in whatever field they are in. They also need to be careful that their negative points do not harm their followers in any way.
References
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