Wiki - Leadership

Wiki- Leadership

Created By Access the profile card for user: Guadalupe Solano  Guadalupe Solano on Monday, November 20, 2017 5:00:10 PM CST

last modified by Access the profile card for user: Guadalupe Solano  Guadalupe Solano on Sunday, November 26, 2017 7:01:43 PM CST

I. What is Leadership?

Leadership is the position or function of a person who has the ability to control, inspire or influence another individual or a group toward the achievement of an organization's common goal, mission, or vision.

Leadership is the ability to inspire others to work effectively and efficiently. Effective leadership is based on ideas, but the leader must further have the skills to communicate those ideas to their followers in order to have them act as the leader wants them to act. The way a leader communicates the idea is by skillfully touching people at their deepest levels. Once those levels are reached, it becomes easier for the subordinates to follow the leader. Leaders help themselves and others to do the right thing. Furthermore, they set direction and build an inspiring vision for their followers. Leadership has nothing to do with seniority, titles, personal attributes, and it is definitely not management. Leadership skills are not innate, however, they can be learned, developed, and enhanced. Leadership is, more than anything, a social influence that maximizes the efforts of others to effectively achieve a goal.

II. How does leadership in a work organization differ from other contexts such as politics, sports, and the military?

Leadership models in different contexts such as politics, sports, and the military often times exhibit similar qualities. For example, these groups are lead and guided towards a common goal.  A workplace, the government, athletics and the military have parallel hierarchy.  This clearly implies that every individual has a place in the organization which follow a chain of command that help the productivity and success of the team. Psychologist Goleman, in his book Primal Leadership, discusses six classifications of leadership  which draw from experience. He explains that effective leaders move within these groups based on what is needed (adopting these traits as they go). For instance, the military can be illustrated in the commanding group because the leaders are extremely driven and focused. Depending on the situation or mission, this type can be extremely autocratic in style where a high degree of micromanagement is exercised to receive a quick response to a problem or situation. In addition, military leaders can adopt the traits of the visionary classification based on the task and purpose of the mission. This classification illustrates a visionary leader who is open to new information, utilizes good communication skills, and is ultimately forward-looking and focused on the big-picture.