Leadership is a Process of Getting Things Done through People

What is Leadership?

Leadership is a process of getting things done through people. The quarterback moves the team toward a touchdown. The senior patrol leader guides the troop to a high rating at the camporee. The mayor gets the people to support new policies to make the city better. It is said leaders are not made but are born. Great leaders will arise when there is a great need. These leaders are getting things done by working through people -- football players, Scouts, and ordinary citizens. They have used the process of leadership to reach certain goals. Leadership is not a science. So being a leader is an adventure because you can never be sure whether you will reach your goal -- at least this time. The touchdown drive may end in a fumble. The troop may have a bad weekend during the camporee. Or the city's citizens may not be convinced that the mayor's policies are right. So these leaders have to try again, using other methods. But they still use the same process the process of good leadership. Leadership means responsibility. It's adventure and often fun, but it always means responsibility. The leader is the guy the others look to to get the job done. So don't think your job as a troop leader or a staff member will be just an honor. It's more than that. It means that the other Scouts expect you to take the responsibility of getting the job done. If you lead, they will do the job. If you don't, they may expect you to do the job all by yourself. That's why it's important that you begin right now to learn what leadership is all about. Wear your badge of office proudly. It does not automatically make you a good leader. But it identifies you as a Scout who others want to follow -- if you'll let them by showing leadership.

You are not a finished leader. No one ever is, not even a president or prime minister. But you are an explorer of the human mind because now you are going to try to learn how to get things done through people. This is one of the keys to leadership. You are searching for the secrets of leadership. Many of them lie locked inside you. As you discover them and practice them, you will join a special group of people-skilled leaders. Leadership was based on the study of people who are already great leaders. These people awere often from the aristocracy, as few from low classes had the opportunity to lead. This contributed from the notation that leadership something to do with breeding. We all recognize that some of the greatest leaders known to humanity have been the founders of various religions. The Buddha, Confucius, Jesus Christ, and Prophet Mohammad are fine examples of religious leadership. On the other hand, Alexander the Great, Chenghiz Khan and Napoleon Bonaparte, for instance, exemplify Personal leadership involves living in balance, living according to your personal values, accepting responsibility for their lives, living with a deep sense of purpose and striving towards a personal vision.

Personal leadership is the foundation of all other leadership contexts, the bottom line is, if you're unable to lead yourself effectively, you'll be unable to lead others effectively. Leader requires to manage team dynamics, manage team processes and personalities, in a manner that enables each team member, to contribute according to their unique abilities. Good team leaders develop team's consisting of individuals, where each individual's strengths compensates for another's weakness, creating an aligned high performance team. Building upon the team leadership practice, Leadership creates alignment across teams, ensuring the successful execution of strategy. The practice of leadership is primarily about creating alignment, improving processes, staying focused, communication and developing relationships. I believe that good quality business unit leadership is essential to ensure the successful execution of organizational strategy. While there are not specific characteristics that define a leader, there are a number of qualities of leadership that can be seen valuable in leaders.A  These include integrity, honesty, humility, courage, commitment, sincerity, passion, confidence, positivity, wisdom, determination, compassion, sensitivity, and a degree of personal charisma.

A  These are not things that make a leader, but they tend to be some of the qualities of a leader and are often shown by their actions. While leadership is largely about behavior, that behavior will never be different from others' without the ability to act on new ideas.A  A leader's ideas direct their actions, decisions and new behaviors.A  Ideas are the only way to challenge things we currently do and belief and a great leader is able to shift and motivate people from a static life to one of great transformation changing views, beliefs and values.A  All these changes ultimately lead to new an action which is what leadership is driving to change. Concepts Good leaders are made not born. If you have the desire and willpower, you can become an effective leader. Good leaders develop through a never ending process of self-study, education, training, and experience. This guide will help you through that process. To inspire your workers into higher levels of teamwork, there are certain things you must be, know, and do. These do not come naturally, but are acquired through continual work and study. Good leaders are continually working and studying to improve their leadership skills; they are NOT resting on their laurels. Before we get started, let's define leadership. Leadership is a process by which a person influences others to accomplish an objective and directs the organization in a way that makes it more cohesive and coherent. Leaders carry out this process by applying their leadership attributes, such as beliefs, values, ethics, character, knowledge, and skills.

Although your position as a manager, supervisor, lead, etc. gives you the authority to accomplish certain tasks and objectives in the organization, this power does not make you a leader...it simply makes you the boss. Leadership differs in that it makes the followers want to achieve high goals, rather than simply bossing people around. Bass' (1989 & 1990) theory of leadership states that there are three basic ways to explain how people become leaders. The first two explain the leadership development for a small number of people. These theories are: Some personality traits may lead people naturally into leadership roles. This is the Trait Theory. A crisis or important event may cause a person to rise to the occasion, which brings out extraordinary leadership qualities in an ordinary person. This is the Great Events Theory. People can choose to become leaders. People can learn leadership skills. This is the Transformational Leadership Theory. It is the most widely accepted theory today and the premise on which this guide is based.

When a person is deciding if she respects you as a leader, she does not think about your attributes, rather, she observes what you do so that she can know who you really are. She uses this observation to tell if you are an honorable and trusted leader or a self-serving person who misuses authority to look good and get promoted. Self-serving leaders are not as effective because their employees only obey them, not follow them. They succeed in many areas because they present a good image to their seniors at the expense of their workers. The basis of good leadership is honorable character and selfless service to your organization. In your employees' eyes, your leadership is everything you do that effects the organization's objectives and their well-being. Respected leaders concentrate on what they are [be] (such as beliefs and character), what they know (such as job, tasks, and human nature), and what they do (such as implementing, motivating, and providing direction). What makes a person want to follow a leader? People want to be guided by those they respect and who have a clear sense of direction. To gain respect, they must be ethical. A sense of direction is achieved by conveying a strong vision of the future.

The Two Most Important Keys to Effective Leadership

A Hay's study examined over 75 key components of employee satisfaction. They found that: Trust and confidence in top leadership was the single most reliable predictor of employee satisfaction in an organization. Effective communication by leadership in three critical areas was the key to winning organizational trust and confidence: Helping employees understand the company's overall business strategy. Helping employees understand how they contribute to achieving key business objectives. Sharing information with employees on both how the company is doing and how an employee's own division is doing -- relative to strategic business objectives. Styles of Leadership Effective leaders care not only about whether they win or lose, but also about how they play the game. In the end, the personal choice that we must make about whether to engage the mindset of authority or that of leadership can define our own future as well as the future of those around us. The talk saw the leading industrialist underlining the difference between the "authoritative" and "nurturing" leadership styles as the "hard" and "soft" components of management. They thrive on a decision making process though a skillful exercise of combining analysis and comprehension of the matters at hand and beyond. Leaders understand challenges but they will not turn challenges into fears. They understand opportunity but will not turn opportunity into adventure. They have a total grasp of the delicate balance of risk and reward as they push ahead towards progress and prosperity.

Styles

Good leaders will use all three styles depending on all situations with only a minor difference to their natural style.A  Poor leaders will generally stick with one style and not adjust for different situations limiting their influence greatly and it can be one out of these. Autocratic Participative Free reign Authoritarian style where are decisions are centralized as in dictatorship. No suggestion and advises are entertain or encouraged. It is a successful and practiced to provide strong motivations to managers in any organization. The outcomes are quick decision making as there is only one person to make decisions for ever one and it is retained to himself unless he feels the need to be shared. Democratic style is a style contrary to the above one. Here this style favors decision making by group as in leaders generates instructions after a consulting a group or group of professional. They can seek co-operation from a group or professional and motivate them by their involvement in goals. The outcomes of the democratic leader are not serotype as with the autocrat because they arise from consultation with the group members and participation by them. Free rein style a free reign leader will lead by leaving the decisions to its subordinates i.e., they are given a free hand in deciding their own policies and methods.

Different situation style can be applied in different situations. In an emergency where there is little time an autocratic style is best suitable however in a motivated and homogenous team democratic would be more suitable. The style adopted should be the one that most effectively achieves the objectives of the group while balancing the interests of its individual members. The practice of organizational leadership involves developing strategic direction, leading change and managing cultural transformation. Organizational leadership is crucial to maintain the fit between the external, fast changing, marketplace and the internal organizational processes to build organizational resilience. The following is my list of the characteristics of a good leader. Vision leaders must have a good and clear vision. They must believe in them self and can motivate people in believing and following them. There vision for things is what it could be not what they are. Wise leaders have to go for critical calls are difficult points. A leader has to be wise and knowledgeable in order to make a correct call for a successful organization. They are strategic, wise and perceptive. Passionate good leaders are very passionate aabout their work and people. There obsession makes them entirely focused on what they do it may be sports hobby or business.

They operate in a high level of passion that they get totally consumed in it. Compassionate good leaders have compassion for the people, employs and supporters. While these leaders have goals to accomplish, they consistently care for the individuals that support them. They are not selfish and have hear for people they follow. Charismatic most good leaders are charming and they draw the attention of the people by the way they talk and the way they carry themselves. They are excellent in building relations and maintaining them. Persistent they have strong will power towards their goal. They anticipate the problem towards their goals. They see that the advantage of attaining their goals is larger than that of the problems that occurred. This makes them intensely persistent individuals. Great communicators they are comfortable in public speaking and inspiring. They are great orator and persuaders. Integrity good leaders mean there words what they say. They don't play political games. Daring they are bold. A great leader said"courage is the virtue on which all virtue rest on." - Winston Churchill.

Disciplined

Most good leaders are very controlled in their goals. Where most would be simply distracted, good leaders discipline their minds to keep focused and steady regardless of the situation. 2 people whom I consider to be good business leaders are as follows:

BILL GATES

From Microsoft's founding in 1975 until 2006, Gates had primary responsibility for the company's product strategy. He aggressively broadened the company's range of products, and wherever Microsoft achieved a dominant position he vigorously defended it. As an executive, Gates met regularly with Microsoft's senior managers and program managers. Firsthand accounts of these meetings describe him as verbally combative, berating managers for perceived holes in their business strategies or proposals that placed the company's long-term interests at risk. He often interrupted presentations with such comments as, "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard!" and, "Why don't you just give up your options and join the Peace Corps?" The target of his outburst then had to defend the proposal in detail until, hopefully, Gates was fully convinced. When subordinates appeared to be procrastinating, he was known to remark sarcastically, "I'll do it over the weekend." Gates' role at Microsoft for most of its history was primarily a management and executive role. However, he was an active software developer in the early years, particularly on the company's programming language products. He has not officially been on a development team since working on the TRS-80 Model 100 line, but wrote code as late as 1989 that shipped in the company's products. On June 15, 2006, Gates announced that he would transition out of his day-to-day role over the next two years to dedicate more time to philanthropy. He divided his responsibilities between two successors, placing Ray Ozzie in charge of day-to-day management and Craig Mundie in charge of long-term product strategy.

Why bill gates??

Focus: Bill Gates has demonstrated over nearly thirty years the importance of clarity of thought and execution Thinking big: Along with focus, the ability to dream big and pursue that with single-minded determination sets Gates apart from other entrepreneurs. Passion: Simply put, if anything is worth doing, it is worth doing well. From a simple thank you note to a complex proposal, it is critical to place the stamp of excellence on whatever one undertakes. Learning as a life-long process: Though dropping out of college to his dreams, Bill Gates has probably read and written more than most of us ever will. Giving back to society: The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has provided a new dimension to philanthropy by addressing issues that are global in nature - malaria, cancer, AIDS.

J. R. D. TATA

He is the honor of being India's first pilot; was Chairman of Tata & Sons for 50 years; launched Air India International as India's first international airline; received Bharat Ratna in 1992. JRD Tata was one of the most enterprising Indian entrepreneurs. He was a pioneer aviator and built one of the largest industrial houses of India. JRD Tata was born on July 29, 1904 in Paris. His mother was a French, while his father was Parsi. JRD's full name was Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata and he was popularly known as Jeh to his friends. JRD's father Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata and Sri Jamsetji Tata shared their greatness from the same great-great-grandfather, Ervad Jamsheed Tata, a priest of Navsari. JRD Tata was the second of four children. He was educated in France, Japan and England before being drafted into the French army for a mandatory one-year period. JRD wanted to extend his service in the forces but destiny had something else in store for him. By leaving the French army JRD's life was saved because shortly thereafter, the regiment in which he served was totally wiped out during an expedition in Morocco. Part-B Poor CommunicationA The entire purpose of senior management is to set a direction for an organization and then translate that direction into a strategy and tactics to be executed by the organization's staff. For this to happen, a leader must communicate the direction and attendant strategy and tactics to the organization's staff. Some leaders fail to communicate at all. In such an environment it is impossible for staff to establish a coherent direction and the entire organization can only be expected to meander along under its own steam. Other leaders may say one thing with their words and another with their actions-frequently referred to as "do what I say, not what I do". Such discrepancies between words and actions raise questions as to the leader's integrity and more importantly, his or her credibility within the organization. Sometimes a leader may decide to keep things secret, feeling that he or she is unable to trust his or her staff. Some leaders may decide that their position is dependent upon their knowledge, and that they therefore cannot share any knowledge with others for fear of making themselves obsolete. In some organizations, decisions on personnel movements are made by a group of senior managers who are tasked with observing all employees throughout the organization, comparing their strengths and weaknesses and their suitability for any positions which may become available.

The information gathered by this group is carefully guarded-restricted to the group members themselves and the senior figured within the Human Resources department. Such a secretive policy on succession planning leads to an uneven distribution of knowledge throughout the organization, to resentment from staff who feel they have been hard done by, and on more than one occasion when a corporate restructure came around, to the best and brightest leaving the organization because they either had no idea how much they were valued, or they had received inside information that they had been overlooked for promotion for ridiculous reasons. The poor communication skills of the leaders of this organization have directly led to the hemorrhaging of talent over the past five years. Office politics No individual is allowed to know what his or her prospects for promotion are, or which positions he or she may be being considered for. Usually, supervisors will not be told of the group's assessments of their direct reports. This complete lack of communication is broken only when either: office politics dictate that it would be beneficial for an individual to "leak" some information from the group; or An individual within the HR department tells one of their friends about the group's assessments because it's a juicy piece of gossip. In fact, despite those locked into a negative stereotype of organizational politics, mastering organizational politics is a crucial aspect of leadership. The sad fact is how so many intelligent people don't understand how acting ethically can actually increase their influence. It providesA 'shark repellent' to avoid becoming victimizedA by organizational politics.

The major structural groupings for subjects that emerged were the 'avoiding politics' group: ~65-80%A (this group had three discernable subgroups),'negative politics' group:~15-25% and 'positive politics' group:A ~5-10% of subjects. While people move in and out of the groups. The group structure remained fairly stable. The most significant mindset difference was theA 'rational systems' view of the avoidance group and the 'human systems' view of the two active political groups. There is also aA major mindset difference between the two active political groups. There is the win-lose, non ethical, upward focus, self interest, competitive, personal gain mindset of the negative politics group, versus the win-win, ethical, organization focus, enlightened self interest, collaborative, best interests of the business mindset of the positive politics group. In terms of behavioral differences, major ones include the high networking and constant small risking taking of the positive politics group versus the relatively low networking and risk avoidance of both other groups. The positive politics group have the higher innovation success rates and higher success factor indicators in terms of performance, and promotion.

They are more likely to be viewed as leaders than the other two groups. There are not any major distinguishing factors between the positive politics group and the avoidance group in terms of personality, interpersonal skill, and intelligence. Negative politics did seem to involve an interpersonal skill in terms of manipulative skills such as of impression management in influencing both how they are perceived and how potential rivals are perceived. Team work Whether you are a team leader or a team member, teamwork is important. One of the essential components to an effective team is: Positive Corporate Culture In order to recruit long-term effective team members, the corporate culture of your organization must be positive, open, and invigorating. Potential team members will thrive in a challenging and creative work environment. Organizations with high turnover, negative attitudes, distrust, and secrecy will, at best, lose their best people and, at worst, make them a product of the destructive organizational climate. Positive corporate culture comes from the top down. Management is largely responsible for the type of culture that an organization develops. As a manager, you can help foster a good climate in several ways. First, you should always make your expectations of your team members clear.

You can accomplish this with a thorough and detailed job description followed by personal discussions for clarification. Secondly, when delegating, always empower each team member. Make sure to give the team member the authority to make and carry out decisions that are required. Furthermore, always support and back up the decisions made by the team member. If you disagree with their decision, instead of chastising or reprimanding, coach the employee and help them to understand your reasoning. Politically correct language Most organizations are unaware of their culture as it pertains to ethics. Most employees would ask their leadership to define ethical behavior, and today's leadership would avoid such a question or give what they perceive is a politically correct answer. Dr. Ergun Caner (2004) said that, "If something is politically correct it is usually morally corrupt". What he meant is, we are so obsessed with the correct response that we allow corruption to exist that may have an impact on others to avoid personal implication. so as a leader one should be careful when addressing groups or talking about others,uselanguage that would not cause any individual of any demographic(social or cultural) to feel excluded, offended or diminished. Definition ofA NOSY Of prying or inquisitive disposition or quality:A intrusive As leader working in a multicultural environment often nosy coworker can be annoying. Most nosy people are unhappy or dissatisfied with their own lives. The solution is either Get to know them and let them talk on and on and on or avoid them.

CONCLUSION

Culture and leadership underscores the complexity of the leadership process and how it is influenced by culture. There is a Need for each of us to expand our ethnocentric tendencies to view leadership from only our own perspective and instead to "open our window" to the diverse ways in which leadership is viewed by people from different regions around the world. There are many ways to view leadership and the integration of culture, and studies of leadership help us to expand and develop a richer understanding of the leadership process.

BIBLOGRAPHY (n.d.).

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