LEADERSHIP: What it takes to ‘LEAD a SHIP’

Great leaders are made not born. One can’t will others to do something just by simply coming out of his mother’s belly. Though it may seem like a baby have total control over his parents with just an irresistible smile or deafening cry, leadership doesn’t work that way. One has to possess certain traits and skill to be considered a true leader.

Read on and see if you have what it takes to be a leader.

  

What is leadership?
John Maxwell, author of the 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, defined leadership simply as “influence – nothing more, nothing less.” It is the ability to influence the people around you, those who are considered followers as well as the ones who are outside your circle. Influencing differs from giving orders in a sense that the followers are motivated to do a task in the belief that it will yield favorable results. Telling a person what to do is easy. But inspiring someone to do something, now that’s quite a challenge.

Factors of Leadership:
According to the U.S. Army (1983), there are four major factors in leadership. These factors will help determine how one leads given the circumstances. They are as follows:

Leader
To be a good leader, you have to have an honest and deep understanding of yourself. Define your capabilities, what you know and what you can do. Know your strengths and use them to your advantage. At the same time, identify your limitations and learn how to work with it, if not, around it. Most importantly, always remember that you success is determined by the followers and not by you or anyone else. You need to convince your followers that you are worthy to lead them. You have to gain their trust, because without it, inspiring them to work is like asking a rock to sing and dance.

Follower
Each person is unique. They have their own values, beliefs, skills, and characteristics. This diversity requires various types of leadership styles. For example, experienced members require less supervision than beginners. Furthermore, leading a group with a dismal amount of motivation needs a different approach than one with fairly high enthusiasm. As a leader, it is essential that you know your followers. In order to do that, you must have a good knowledge of human nature, their needs, emotions, and motivations, among other things. Understanding your followers enables you to lead effectively.

Communication
Communication is a significant aspect in teamwork. You should lead with a two-way communication process in which there is an exchange of thoughts, actions, and ideas. However, most of this process involves nonverbal communication. You don’t have to actually put into words what you want your team to know. For instance, setting an example tells your members what you are willing to do. And if they follow in your lead, then you can consider it as ‘message conveyed.’ But be careful with what you communicate and how you did it, since it can either build up or harm the dynamics between you and your members.

Situation
Like human beings, every situation is distinct. What works with this condition may not work with the other. It is your duty to use your better judgment to determine the suitable leadership style and appropriate course of action in a given case. For example, in times of calamity, it is beneficial to use an authoritarian style of leadership rather than a democratic style. Furthermore, to effectively correct a follower’s undesirable behavior, you should confront him at the right time and with sufficient intensity.

Leadership is not child’s play nor is it easy. Good leaders are developed through endless pursuit of knowledge, extensive training, and experience. And with the right attitude and willpower, any one of us can lead.