Are You A Leader?

0
1858

You say that you are a Leader

new gennice

By Gennice Burch

January 13, 2016

The expression “everyone wants to be a leader” has some cogency, but does this make them a leader is the question?

True leaders use different styles to lead their group towards achieving their goals.

How do we define a leader? There are many are definitions that we can think of, but according to dictionary.com, a leader is “a person who influences a group of people towards the achievement of a goal”. A reminder for this definition would be 3P’s – Person, People and Purpose.

In politics, sports, business, organizations, good leadership is essential for goal Achievements success.

You say that you are a leader, let’s take a look at the different type of leadership styles

Daniel Goleman, author of “Primal Leadership” describes six different leadership styles.

Visionary-This style is most appropriate when an organization needs a new direction. Its goal is to move people towards a new set of shared dreams. “Visionary leaders articulate where a group is going, but not how it will get there setting people free to innovate, experiment, take calculated risks”.

Coaching-This is a one-on-one style that focuses on developing individuals, showing them how to improve their performance, and helping to connect their goals to the goals of the organization.

Affiliative-This style emphasizes the importance of team work, and creates harmony in a group by connecting people to each other. This approach is valuable “when trying to heighten team harmony, increase morale, improve communication or repair broken areas of trust within the group.

Democratic– This style draws on people’s knowledge and skills, to create a group commitment to the resulting goals. It works best when the direction of the organization is nuclear, and the leader needs to tap the collective wisdom of the group.

Pacesetting-In this style, the leader sets high standards for performance. He or she is “obsessive with doing things better and faster, and asks the same of everyone.”

Commanding-This is classic model style of leadership in the past, it is used most frequently, but maybe the least effective. It rarely involves praise and usually employs criticism; it undercuts morale and job satisfaction.

Four tips to help you be an effective leader.

  1. Know your strengths and your weaknesses, a leader should never try to do it all, this is the purpose of working with a group.
  2. A leader does not mind sharing information with those who will benefit. This is one way to achieve success within the group or organization.
  3. A leader is intentional with what they say and what they do, when setting up a plan for organizational goals.
  4. A leader should have a positive attitude on life in general, let it shine through to those you come in contact with, others will sense this and become more willing to work with you. Remember you must lead by example.

The most effective leaders can adopt the one that meets the needs of the moment.

If an individual is a true leader, he or she has to be willing to take ownership when things go in a negative direction and give accolades to the group when praise is warranted. Now that you know the different leadership styles and important leadership tips, you can really answer the question “Are you a leader”.

Gennice can be reached at [email protected]

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here