Leadership
Researchers have never agreed on how best to define leadership, but most would agree that leaders are individuals who guide, direct, motivate, or inspire others. They are both men and women who influence others in an organization or in a community. They command others’ attention; persuade others to follow them or pursue goals; control situations; improve the performance of groups and organizations; and they get results. These individuals may not always be the presidents of countries or leaders of companies, but instead employees who step forward to mentor less experienced or younger colleagues. They may be managers who direct successful project teams, or vice presidents who lead divisions and motivate their staff to achieve company goals.
Because of cultural differences, unfamiliarity with various subjects, and different ways of doing business, working and leading in the world nowadays can be difficult. More and more individuals live and work across national borders, so understanding and leadership are becoming ever more important in international fields.
Through effective communication, leaders lead. Good communication skills enable, foster, and create the understanding and trust necessary to encourage others to follow a leader. Therefore, it is one of the most important skills that a leader should develop. It is not an innate skill that people are born with, as many wrongly assume, but instead it is learned. That is to say that everyone can be a good communicator just by training and practice. So, focusing on different kinds of leadership communication skills is the first step towards achieving the dream of being a good leader. Once the person has learned, he/she must start practicing their newfound skills in order to realize how much more efficiently can communicate with others.
Besides communication, a good leader has to know how to get along with the process of strategic planning, for this is considered one of the most powerful tools available to a business organization. It is also a vital tool which helps prevent mistakes and recognize hidden opportunities. So, preparing a satisfactory plan of business organization is essential for development in terms of products, management, finances, and most importantly, markets and competition.
Moreover, this skill involves the ability of the leader to modify any plan as and when required, without deviating too much from the original plan. In order to be a good leader, you have to be proactive and plan for everything, from beginning to end. You also have to analyse the task at hand, think about all the factors associated with it, and draw up a plan for each contingency. More than that, you must try to identify problems that could potentially crop up and have a back-up plan ready in case something goes wrong.
The first type of leadership is called participative leadership, which involves consulting with subordinates before making a decision. Participative leadership is associated with consensus, consultation, delegation, and involvement. This means that this style requires the leader to be a coach who has the final say, but only after gathering information from staff members before making a decision. In addition, this kind of leadership is usually seen in corporate settings because leaders act more like facilitators rather than dictators; they facilitate the ideas and they share information, all with the end goal of arriving at a decision.
Another leadership style is transformational, which involves changing beliefs, needs, and values of followers. It also involves more than simply asking for their compliance. In other words, transformational leadership is the ability to get people to want to change, to improve, and to be led. Transformational leaders offer a purpose that transcends short-term goals and focuses on higher order intrinsic needs. They have a clear, collective vision, and most importantly they manage to communicate it effectively to all employees by acting as role models. They inspire employees to put the good of the whole organization above self-interest.
In contrast to these others is transactional leadership, a style in which the leader exchanges their values for something valued by followers. This style is based on the hypothesis that followers are motivated through a system of rewards and punishments. Therefore, transactional leaders base their relationships with their followers on a series of exchanges or bargains. They reward followers for accomplishing agreed objectives by giving recognition, bonuses, merit awards, or particularly stimulating projects. They also “transact” with followers by focusing on their mistakes, or delaying decisions until something has gone wrong. In short, if the follower does something good, they will be rewarded - if they do something wrong, they will be punished.
To sum up, leadership is a very important discipline in everyday life. So, any business, whether large or small, needs a number of leaders, whether male or female. These people serve a vital function within the company, setting an example to their peers and team while providing a source of information to colleagues and co-workers. There are many qualities that constitute a leader, but the best leader can inspire those around them to excel in their field.
By Houria Achibane & Meryam Alami, Advanced 2
- Why is there a focus on leadership now?
Because of cultural differences, unfamiliarity with various subjects, and different ways of doing business, working and leading in the world nowadays can be difficult. More and more individuals live and work across national borders, so understanding and leadership are becoming ever more important in international fields.
- What skills are necessary?
Through effective communication, leaders lead. Good communication skills enable, foster, and create the understanding and trust necessary to encourage others to follow a leader. Therefore, it is one of the most important skills that a leader should develop. It is not an innate skill that people are born with, as many wrongly assume, but instead it is learned. That is to say that everyone can be a good communicator just by training and practice. So, focusing on different kinds of leadership communication skills is the first step towards achieving the dream of being a good leader. Once the person has learned, he/she must start practicing their newfound skills in order to realize how much more efficiently can communicate with others.
Besides communication, a good leader has to know how to get along with the process of strategic planning, for this is considered one of the most powerful tools available to a business organization. It is also a vital tool which helps prevent mistakes and recognize hidden opportunities. So, preparing a satisfactory plan of business organization is essential for development in terms of products, management, finances, and most importantly, markets and competition.
Moreover, this skill involves the ability of the leader to modify any plan as and when required, without deviating too much from the original plan. In order to be a good leader, you have to be proactive and plan for everything, from beginning to end. You also have to analyse the task at hand, think about all the factors associated with it, and draw up a plan for each contingency. More than that, you must try to identify problems that could potentially crop up and have a back-up plan ready in case something goes wrong.
- Different styles
The first type of leadership is called participative leadership, which involves consulting with subordinates before making a decision. Participative leadership is associated with consensus, consultation, delegation, and involvement. This means that this style requires the leader to be a coach who has the final say, but only after gathering information from staff members before making a decision. In addition, this kind of leadership is usually seen in corporate settings because leaders act more like facilitators rather than dictators; they facilitate the ideas and they share information, all with the end goal of arriving at a decision.
Another leadership style is transformational, which involves changing beliefs, needs, and values of followers. It also involves more than simply asking for their compliance. In other words, transformational leadership is the ability to get people to want to change, to improve, and to be led. Transformational leaders offer a purpose that transcends short-term goals and focuses on higher order intrinsic needs. They have a clear, collective vision, and most importantly they manage to communicate it effectively to all employees by acting as role models. They inspire employees to put the good of the whole organization above self-interest.
In contrast to these others is transactional leadership, a style in which the leader exchanges their values for something valued by followers. This style is based on the hypothesis that followers are motivated through a system of rewards and punishments. Therefore, transactional leaders base their relationships with their followers on a series of exchanges or bargains. They reward followers for accomplishing agreed objectives by giving recognition, bonuses, merit awards, or particularly stimulating projects. They also “transact” with followers by focusing on their mistakes, or delaying decisions until something has gone wrong. In short, if the follower does something good, they will be rewarded - if they do something wrong, they will be punished.
To sum up, leadership is a very important discipline in everyday life. So, any business, whether large or small, needs a number of leaders, whether male or female. These people serve a vital function within the company, setting an example to their peers and team while providing a source of information to colleagues and co-workers. There are many qualities that constitute a leader, but the best leader can inspire those around them to excel in their field.
By Houria Achibane & Meryam Alami, Advanced 2