How do you define leadership? What are the most important characteristics of a leader in you opinion?
I personally define leadership as the components required to get people who are not me to do the things I think they need to do.
I can wrap that up in all kinds of organizational behavior and motivation terminology, but the reality of the situation comes down to that.
According to (Cummings et al., 2010) there are 4 factors included in most common definitions of leadership,
(1) leadership is a process,
(2) entails influence,
(3) occurs within a context,
and (4) includes achieving specific goals
Raed
Leadership can be defined as the process of providing general direction and influencing individuals or groups to achieve goals. Leadership is among the vital activities of any organization.
Leadership can be defined as the process of influencing the attitudes, behaviors and feelings of others to achieve a certain goal.
To take a slightly different angle, I buy into the concept of leaderless leadership. The way I interpret this is that leadership is an act (or process) that can come from anyone at anytime, and doesn't depend on an individual who has been defined the leader or emerged as the single leader. In this definition, leadership becomes emergent (emerges from the group and disappears back into the group), distributed (can and should come from different people within a group) and episodic (only lasts for a distinct and often short amount of time). This goes against the typical model of leadership where a single leader is defined and needs to have various qualities and behave in a particular way (often following a particular style such as inspirational, authentic etc). For this approach to work, and engage the breadth of talent and motivation available in a group, the environment needs to be carefully created, curated and facilitated. Along these lines, I think that there are many many characteristics of leadership, which depend on the group and the person providing the leadership at any time. Since the definitions of leadership given in other comments (from leadership research) are so incredibly broad, and so obvious, it's clear to me that asking what is important in leadership (across all situations and individuals) isn't the best question to ask. Of course, that might make the work being done (the reason behind the question) more complex and lead to less clear cut results.
Leadership has many styles and types but practically it must be considered in the situation and context of the practice. It may be considered as dealing with the situation in a democratic or autocratic way to accomplish the desired goals. Leadership by example and personal characteristic should also be taken into account. Leadership is about visualizing, dreaming, designing these dreams and coloring the dreams with team building, motivation and guidance at all the levels. It is more about thinking, framing the solutions, and accomplishing these solutions. In simple words it is about transforming dreams into realities.
There is a plethora of literature dedicated to leadership. In general, most scholars agree that the nature of leadership is a relationship between a leader and a follower(s) that can be understood as a liaison, which includes mutual influence, communication and obligations (e.g. see Bass 2008; Rosenbach & Taylor 2006; Yukl 2012). In other words, there is a reciprocal influencing process taking place that engages parties, that is leader and follower, to accomplish a mutual purpose.
As a summary the leadership is the power of influence and impact on the organizational individuals. In one word it means: "Impression" vs "Depression".
But What the most important characteristics of a leader are, you can see somethings as follows:
- Popularity
- Specialty
- Celebrity
Leadership (managerial) can be defined as a function of influencing a certain group of people individually and collectively by a certain person toward the achievement of certain goals. Certain group of people may be employees assigned to a formal group/team/board or who are working in a department or a unit or the entire organisation. These employees are called followers in the context of leadership. Certain person is a person who works or serves as the leader who influences others in the group. Influencing means making an effect on the way followers think and behave. It is the act of affecting others to agree with opinions and/or objectives of the leader and to do what the leader wants. Certain goals are the official goals which the leader is required to achieve. Here concern is about a leader who has been legally appointed and who has legally accepted goals or objectives. These goals may be goals relating to a unit (in case of a head of a unit/sub department), department (in case of a departmental head) or the entire organisation (in case of the head of the organisation/CEO). ‘Individually’ means that the leader leads a person of the group as a person or does influencing people separately. ‘Collectively’ means that the leader leads all members of the group being concerned as a team. Here influence comes from the leader to followers in common way.
According to Hitt et al (1979, p. 262) there are three major components of leadership and they are (1) leaders must have followers. One cannot be a leader unless there are people to be led; (2) leaders have more power to influence followers than the followers have to influence leaders. Leadership consists of influencing followers to exhibit certain desirable behaviours; and (3) the object of leadership is to influence followers to achieve group goals. In organisations the group’s objectives are generally based on assigned tasks for which the group is responsible.
Great leaders were the leaders who had many followers.
In case of a manager in an organisation he/she must have acceptance of subordinates in order to become an effective leader. Otherwise leader is not in a position of getting things done through subordinates. Subordinates’ acceptance of the superior as their leader is another component of leadership.
In order to lead successfully doing the following is more likely instrumental:
1. Understand the strengths and limitations of your power base
2. Develop your diagnostic skills to determine states of situational forces.
3. Not to believe in ‘one best way’ in leading for all situations or subordinates.
4. Recognize that leader and his or her subordinates are a team.
5. Get acceptance of subordinates (at least majority of subordinates) to leader behaviour.
6. Keep an open mind and be willing to adapt to nature of each subordinate.
7. Believe in leading, feel leading interestingly and intend to be serious in leading (be prepared for leading cognitively, affectively and behaviourally: right attitude for leadership itself).
Leadership is the process of guiding, directing and motivating people toward the specific goals. There are different theories related with leadership including 8 major theories
For details kindly follow the link: http://unpan1.un.org/intradoc/groups/public/documents/APCITY/UNPAN030550.pdf
Leadership or being a leader is about being the ultimate role model. As a leader, being able to accept feedback whether right, wrong, or indifferent, while responding only to the facts of that feedback shows leadership, but is not what leadership is. Leadership has several components being fair, the mindset of the leader, selflessness, respect, accountability, acceptance, trust, and relationships. For example, regarding accountability and acceptance; if you are wrong, you have to acknowledge that and role model how to deal with the adversity in a positive, productive manner. Leadership is understanding your power of influence as an authority figure and being fair with that power by making sure constituents get treated properly.
Leadership is a mindset, focused on being conscious and vigilant of the great good, regardless of the environment. The philosophy of leadership is doing the right thing because it's morally correct, not for a benefit or to appeal to the masses. Leadership is culturally driven, a humbling process, and supportive in nature. Leadership Is also looked at as the elite level of role modeling, due to the underlying factor of selflessness. Selflessness is important because leadership is not about you, but what you can do to help others grow, succeed, develop empowerment, and prepare them to be a better leader than yourself.
Leadership is a way of life! Leaders who develop other leaders or teach leadership in any form, I firmly believe must have a high value for respect. Having strong core values as a leader eliminates unfair treatment and bias, which can corrupt strong leadership. The foundation of respect is integrity. It is your integrity that builds your respect as a leader, do you stand by what you say and show you believe in your values even in times of crisis?
Finally, leadership is about relationships and the underlying factor of trust that foster these relationships. To build leadership people need to be willing to follow, to establish the following the community needs to trust you. The commitment from others that comes along with leadership will develop over time by the leader, remaining firm with their values and beliefs. This is why I stress what I mentioned earlier in my response. Leadership is a way of life, values you have to embody to be true.
Barry M. Woods, Jr.
MS in Human Services
When I think of leadership, I first think about it in relation to management. Management can be seen as a “science” that involves accomplishing a job or task at hand as part of a routine. Leadership takes management and goes steps further—looking at a future vision, enabling others to see that vision, and galvanizing others toward that vision. In essence, leadership takes a deeper stance on things, using the hard skills that are associated with management and employing soft 21st century skills to empathize with others and motivate the group to get done what is needed to get done. I see leadership as more future-oriented, having the power to find answers and direction to issues that do not have ready answers in the present. With eyes to the future, leaders can move the group toward answers that only become apparent as time elapses.
In terms of the most important characteristics of a leader, leaders need to be open to change (since it is inevitable) and be able to use change as leverage to accomplish the needed tasks and much more. Also, leaders need to access creativity as a way to deal with the nonlinearities brought about by change. Management seems to make use of linear, convergent methods to deal with events; however, leadership acknowledges nonlinearities that come about through change and thus makes use of divergent and convergent thinking to get at solutions to complexities. Lastly, leaders need to encourage creativity and divergent/convergent thinking in others. True leaders do not only “do”, but they develop the ability to “do” in others. This is from where their true power emanates. In this way, leaders can adapt, educate, motivate, and transform.
References
Puccio, G., Mance, M., & Murdock, M. (2011). Creative leadership: Skills that drive change. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Senge, P., Smith, B., Kruschwitz, N., Laur, J., & Schley, S. (2010). The necessary revolution: Working together to create a sustainable world. NY, NY: Crown Publishing.
Scharmer, O. (2016). Theory U: Leading from the future as it emerges. Cambridge, MA: Society for Organizational Learning.
Thank you all for your valuable answers, I read somewhere the following:
"A leader is best when people barely know he exist. When his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves." - Lao Tzu.
Do you agree with that?
I completely agree with this quote taken from Tzu. Leaders are equipped with the abilities to motivate groups of people to move toward a certain goal. The leader himself/herself is not the center of attention. What takes center stage is the goal itself. When all is said and done, the groups of people come together and ask "How did we do that?" The leader smiles in the corner and realizes that the "magic" has worked once again to galvanize everyone.
What is leadership?
Leadership is the depiction on how a leader is bringing his / her followers to achieve certain goal in certain environment. Key components of leadership include: leader, followers, goal(s) & environments (see picture below).
A good leader always knows what the best solution is to adopt. If he does not know the best solution, he guess the best solution.
Maccoby (2007) rises a question “Who are “the leaders we need?”. He himself gives an answer, that is: “They are the leaders motivated to achieve the common good that have the qualities required to gain willingness of the followers in a particular culture, at a historical moment when leadership becomes essential to meet the challenges of that time and place.”
Reference: Maccoby, M., 2007. The leaders we need: And what makes us follow. Harvard Business Press.
To your question, I would like to quote the answer to my question, which is given at the link below:
-Len Leonid Mizrah · 29.17 · Authernative, Inc., USA
Real leader has high trust and inspires people around. The imaginary one brings frustration, and used to be dreadful for business
https://www.researchgate.net/post/Imaginary_and_a_real_leader-whats_the_difference
"A leader is one who knows the ways, goes the way, and shows the way."--John C. Maxwell.
Dear Dr.Sofia Cividini,
Really one photo could be equal in meaning to 1000 words, very informative poster, I do agree with all words in this poster, thank you so much for sharing this piece of information.
Regards, Emad
Someone worth following. Napoleon given above by C. Lewis is a good example. I would say Alexander the Great is another example of a leader. He inspired everyone to follow him. The story of A., as is written down by so many, will define all aspects of a true leader. Need to read it if one wants to find the definition of a leader.
Leadership is the position or function in which a person guides or directs a group of individuals. This post has to be distinguished from management or rule because it has characteristic skills & style.
A leader has approaches on how to inspire & empower others to do their very best. The leader knows how to acquire the trust of employees even if his/her style involves fierce & fearless manners. Once trust is instilled within the rank & file , the sense of belonging will become more forceful with each one doing all that is required for progress.
Leadership is a singular person who, through his power of analysis and his clairvoyance, emerges in relation to others in order to guide them and confront situations in whatever domains
Leadership is the ability to influence the response from others in support of a given task. Leadership is charismatic in nature. Leadership involves giving direction and influencing the right decision making in consultation with others in the same or different organization.
It's a personal example of doing things which is contagious for others.
For me, I feel that a leader should first a good human being herself/himself and influences many followers by doing the right thing on the right way. It should be exemplary herself/himself.
"If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader."--John Quincy Adams
"A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don't want to go, but ought to be."--Rosalynn Carter
To do great things is difficult; but to command great things is more difficult.
- Friedrich Nietzsche
Great leaders not just they show the island that there is not, but they convince everyone to follow them to go there.
In the business world, the rear view mirror is always clearer than the windshield.
- Warren Buffett
"Leadership is not magnetic personality, that can just as well be a glib tongue. It is not 'making friends and influencing people,' that is flattery.
Leadership is lifting a person's vision to higher sights, the raising of a person's performance to a higher standard, the building of a personality beyond its normal limitations." --Peter F. Drucker
Leadership is influence, is when you are able to influence other people's behavior positively.
"Leadership is the capacity and will to rally men and women to a common purpose and the character which inspires confidence."
-Bernard Montgomery
I think that, leadership is to motivate others to achieve a common goal of welfare. It includes tenacity, good logic, good temperament, impressive personality, Honesty and power of taking quick and right decision. Leadership includes courage and generosity.
Leadership rests not only upon ability, not only upon capacity; having the capacity to lead is not enough. The leader must be willing to use it. His leadership is then based on truth and character. There must be truth in the purpose and will power in the character.
- Vince Lombardi
If anything goes bad, I did it. If anything goes semi-good, we did it. If anything goes real good, then you did it. That's all it takes to get people to win football games for you.
- Bear Bryant
Leadership is taking responsibility for other people, directing, setting goals and trying to achieve them.
A leader is a person who communicates, directs, and inspires followers for organizational goal achievements
Leadership is an influencing process. To describe it in a few words is rather challenging as there are many contributing factors to leadership but in essence I would argue that leadership is a purpose driven influencing process whereby the leader get his/her followers/subordinates to achieve a particular goal.
You're a leader when other people look to you for a sense of commonality/ purpose, direction, organisation, and accountability. The most important character trait is 'authentegrity'
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