Leadership - 5 Benefits of Personal Development Planning

The best leaders know that they need to keep developing and growing in order to fulfil their true potential. In the current economic climate, where there are more and more demands on leaders to take and implement tough decisions, the need for personal development planning is probably even more important than ever. So what are the 5 key benefits of approaching personal development planning with the same rigour and professionalism as business planning?

Benefit 1: Self reflection

Just like business planning, personal development planning starts with an assessment of where you are now. To do this, you need to reflect on your skills, knowledge, experience and personal attributes and consider:

Leadership - 5 Benefits of Personal Development Planning

o What you do well

o What you don't do so well

o What would make you even more effective

This self reflection is not only powerful in terms of planning your personal development but also in raising your self awareness.

Benefit 2: Clarity

Personal development planning has two key aspects to it. The first is deciding what activities and areas you want to focus on in the short term, say the next 12 months. The second is about getting clarity on where you want to take your career over the next 5-10 years. Personal development planning helps you to get that clarity.

Benefit 3: Decision making

We are continually faced with a number of choices in our work and our life. Being clear on your priorities for your career, the type of experience that you need to acquire and the skills and attributes that you need to develop helps you to take informed decisions, quickly.

Benefit 4: Long term view

We all have come across colleagues who took a promotion or job change that offered something exceptional in the short term but turned out to be a bad long term choice. While a large pay rise might look attractive, ask yourself whether the role will help you to achieve your longer term career goals.

Benefit 5: Wise investment

There is certainly no shortage of options available to spend either your own or your organisation's cash on training and development. On the other hand you want to make sure that you make the most appropriate investment. If you have a clear goal or destination this becomes much easier to do.

Bottom Line - Personal development is no longer an optional extra. So when will you get started?

Leadership - 5 Benefits of Personal Development Planning
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And I invite you to start on your development activities for free by signing up for my free 7 part e audio course at http://www.goalsandachievements.co.uk/

In this course you will discover tips and insights to help you to be an even more successful leader.

Duncan Brodie - Goals and Achievements

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Seven Personal Characteristics Of A Good Leader

How often have you heard the comment, "He or she is a born leader?" There are certain characteristics found in some people that seem to naturally put them in a position where they're looked up to as a leader.

Whether in fact a person is born a leader or develops skills and abilities to become a leader is open for debate. There are some clear characteristics that are found in good leaders. These qualities can be developed or may be naturally part of their personality. Let us explore them further.

SEVEN PERSONAL QUALITIES FOUND IN A GOOD LEADER

Seven Personal Characteristics Of A Good Leader

1. A good leader has an exemplary character. It is of utmost importance that a leader is trustworthy to lead others. A leader needs to be trusted and be known to live their life with honestly and integrity. A good leader "walks the talk" and in doing so earns the right to have responsibility for others. True authority is born from respect for the good character and trustworthiness of the person who leads.

2. A good leader is enthusiastic about their work or cause and also about their role as leader. People will respond more openly to a person of passion and dedication. Leaders need to be able to be a source of inspiration, and be a motivator towards the required action or cause. Although the responsibilities and roles of a leader may be different, the leader needs to be seen to be part of the team working towards the goal. This kind of leader will not be afraid to roll up their sleeves and get dirty.

3. A good leader is confident. In order to lead and set direction a leader needs to appear confident as a person and in the leadership role. Such a person inspires confidence in others and draws out the trust and best efforts of the team to complete the task well. A leader who conveys confidence towards the proposed objective inspires the best effort from team members.

4. A leader also needs to function in an orderly and purposeful manner in situations of uncertainty. People look to the leader during times of uncertainty and unfamiliarity and find reassurance and security when the leader portrays confidence and a positive demeanor.

5. Good leaders are tolerant of ambiguity and remain calm, composed and steadfast to the main purpose. Storms, emotions, and crises come and go and a good leader takes these as part of the journey and keeps a cool head.

6. A good leader, as well as keeping the main goal in focus, is able to think analytically. Not only does a good leader view a situation as a whole, but is able to break it down into sub parts for closer inspection. While keeping the goal in view, a good leader can break it down into manageable steps and make progress towards it.

7. A good leader is committed to excellence. Second best does not lead to success. The good leader not only maintains high standards, but also is proactive in raising the bar in order to achieve excellence in all areas.

These seven personal characteristics are foundational to good leadership. Some characteristics may be more naturally present in the personality of a leader. However, each of these characteristics can also be developed and strengthened. A good leader whether they naturally possess these qualities or not, will be diligent to consistently develop and strengthen them in their leadership role.

Seven Personal Characteristics Of A Good Leader
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Barbara White President of Beyond Better Development has over twenty years experience in leadership. Beyond Better Development works with organizations who want their leaders to develop towards their potential and stay on the cutting edge. More about Leadership Developmentand Good Leadership Skills [http://www.beyondbetterleadership.com]

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Leadership - The 5 Worst Traits of Poor Leaders

As a leader you are tasked with delivering results. The best leaders know that consistently delivering great results is not something that they can do in isolation. To get others to support them in consistently delivering results they need to avoid the 5 worst traits of poor leaders. In my experience these include:

Trait 1: Being arrogant

Without doubt you want a leader to be self assured and confident. At the same time you want them to be self aware and understand the impact that they have on others. If you are someone who is arrogant you will do a great job at turning people off and disengaging them.

Leadership - The 5 Worst Traits of Poor Leaders

Trait 2: Unwilling to listen

You are the leader, you are in charge, you take the decisions and you make things happen. You don't need the views and opinions of others- right? Well yes if you want do completely de-motivate people and isolate them. On the other hand if you want to work with your people to deliver great service and performance, make the time to listen to them.

Trait 3: Bullying

No one likes or respects a bully. A bully is not only bad news for those that they lead but is costly too. An article in Personnel Today in December 2007 suggests that it hits the bottom line. At that time it was suggested that work place bullying was costing more than £2bn a year in sick pay, staff turnover and productivity.

In the long run, leaders who rely on bullying or heavy handed tactics will more than likely find themselves in the middle of an ocean in a sinking ship without a life jacket at some point. How appealing does that sound?

Trait 4: Favouritism

Tough as it may be, your job as a leader is to try and aim to treat everyone the same and avoid favouritism. It can be tempting to have favourites but can be extremely dangerous in the long run. The reason is that you will create divisions in teams that can lead to 'in fighting' instead of time and energies being focused on results.

Trait 5: Disorganised

If you have ever worked for someone who consistently turns up late for meetings, does not have all of their papers available and fails to keep on track, you will know just how troublesome this can be. With more and more demands on leaders' time, being organised is no longer an optional extra.

Bottom line- If you want to prosper as a leader you need to maximise good traits and minimise the bad traits. So what action do you need to take to achieve this?

Leadership - The 5 Worst Traits of Poor Leaders
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And I invite you to take some immediate positive action by taking advantage of my free e audio course available at http://www.goalsandachievements.co.uk/

Duncan Brodie of Goals and Achievements (G&A) works with individuals, teams and organisations to develop their management and leadership capability.

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Leadership: A Christian Perspective - Nu Leadership Series

"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth."

Genesis 1: 27, 28

Let us review leadership from the very beginning. In Genesis 1, we find God designing the universe in His Glory. God instructs his first leader, Adam, to have "dominion over the Earth." God further instructs Adam on his management duties in Genesis 2:15 to "dress and keep it."

Leadership: A Christian Perspective - Nu Leadership Series

However, it appears this agrarian lifestyle was not enough. God gives Adam additional guidance in Genesis 2:16, 17 to help build Adam's leadership character. Eve, his wife, provides him with contradicting instructions. This creates the first leadership dilemma.

What will Adam do? It appears that Adam, the father of humanity, fails to live up to God's expectation; for he was made in God's image. Adam did not comply with God's instructions. As a result, Adam and his descendents are dealt a severe punishment in Genesis 3:19. You see this in the world that leaders now exist--a very hostile environment.

During these leadership series, we will explore leadership concepts as it relates to the practical side of leading others. We will borrow something from the academic community as well from practitioners. Effective leadership is critical, and leadership thought will help guide us through life while we exist in this organizational exile.

References:

Bass, B. (1999). Bass & stogdill's handbook of leadership. New York, NY: The Free Press.

Holy Bible. King James Version

Northouse, P. (2004). Leadership theory and practice. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

© 2006 by Daryl D. Green

Leadership: A Christian Perspective - Nu Leadership Series
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Daryl D. Green has published over 100 articles in the field of decision-making (personal and organizational), leadership, and organizational behavior. Mr. Green is also the author of four books, including More than a Conqueror: Achieving Personal Fulfillment in Government Service. Do you want to improve your life? Do you want to make better decisions? If you answer "yes," then go to the 'master decision-making' website at http://www.darylgreen.org

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The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership

The subtitle of Maxwell's book is "Follow Them, and People Will Follow You." Each time I read that, I hear a rejoinder in my head: "Don't follow them, and people won't follow you." Revised and updated in 2007 for the 10th anniversary of The 21 Irrefutable Laws, this book is rightly regarded as a foundational piece of the leadership literature.

As the title indicates, Maxwell presents 21 laws of leadership, all of which are free-standing and yet buttressed by one another. You can learn a lot simply by reviewing the 21 laws with Maxwell's brief explanation of each:

1. The Law of the Lid: Leadership Ability Determines a Person's Level of Effectiveness

The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership

2. The Law of Influence: The True Measure of Leadership Is Influence - Nothing More, Nothing Less

3. The Law of Process: Leadership Develops Daily, Not in a Day

4. The Law of Navigation: Anyone Can Steer the Ship, but It Takes a Leader to Change the Course

5. The Law of Addition: Leaders Add Value by Serving Others

6. The Law of Solid Ground: Trust Is the Foundation of Leadership

7. The Law of Respect: People Naturally Follow Leaders Stronger Than Themselves

8. The Law of Intuition: Leaders Evaluate Everything with a Leadership Bias

9. The Law of Magnetism: Who You Are Is Who You Attract

10. The Law of Connection: Leaders Touch a Heart Before They Ask for a Hand

11. The Law of the Inner Circle: A Leader's Potential Is Determined by Those Closest to Him

12. The Law of Empowerment: Only Secure Leaders Give Power to Others

13. The Law of the Picture: People Do What People See

14. The Law of Buy-In: People Buy into the Leader, Then the Vision

15. The Law of Victory: Leaders Find a Way for the Team to Win

16. The Law of the Big Mo: Momentum is a Leader's Best Friend

17. The Law of Priorities: Leaders Understand That Activity Is Not Necessarily Accomplishment

18. The Law of Sacrifice: A Leader Must Give Up to Go Up

19. The Law of Timing: When to Lead Is as Important as What to Do and Where to Go

20. The Law of Explosive Growth: To Add Growth, Lead Followers - To Multiply, Lead Leaders

21. The Law of Legacy: A Leader's Lasting Value is Measured by Succession

My favorite law, the umbrella under which all of the other laws fall, is the Law of Process. Leadership can't be developed in a day or a week. Instead, it grows and becomes refined through a lifetime of self-management, skills acquisition, and relationships:

If you continually invest in your leadership development, letting your 'assets' compound, the inevitable result is growth over time. What can you see when you look at a person's daily agenda? Priorities, passion, abilities, relationships, attitude, personal disciplines, vision, and influence. See what a person is doing every day, day after day, and you'll know who that person is and what he or she is becoming.

Often, when I speak to newer lawyers about leadership development, someone in the group will ask why a new graduate or a lawyer in the first few years of practice should be concerned with leadership development, since they're at the bottom of the totem pole. My answer is three-fold.

First, it's critical to lead oneself and develop a strong foundation in self-management. Second, usually even "bottom of the totem pole" lawyers soon have an opportunity to lead something, whether it's a document review team or a subcommittee. And third, as Maxwell writes, "champions don't become champions in the ring - they are merely recognized there." If a lawyer waits until a leadership position is on the horizon to begin developing good leadership skills, the position may never present itself, or if it does, the lawyer will lack the necessary skills to thrive in that position. (Incidentally, point 3 is well illustrated in Maxwell's first law, the Law of the Lid.)

What's in it for lawyers? Although each of The 21 Irrefutable Laws is important for leadership development, perhaps none speaks to the profession in quite the same was as the Law of Explosive Growth. That law holds that leaders who develop leaders create an organization that can achieve explosive growth, since "for every leader they develop, they also receive the value of all of that leader's followers." Imagine the potential for enormous and sustainable growth in a law firm in which leaders are developed.

Read one chapter a week and apply what you learn. Without question, you will grow as a leader, and you'll see the difference in your day-to-day life and practice, with clients, and in whatever leadership roles you may hold.

The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership
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Julie A. Fleming, J.D., A.C.C. provides attorney development coaching for associates and partners, and she is a speaker for law firm retreats and workshops. Topics on which she coaches and speaks include professional development, business development, leadership development, career management, and work/life integration Julie holds a coaching certificate from the Georgetown Leadership Coaching program and holds the Associate Certified Coach (ACC) credential from the International Coach Federation. She is certified to administer the DISC(r) assessment, the Leadership Circle Profile 360, and the Leadership Culture Survey. Julie writes extensively on matters of interest to lawyers on the Life at the Bar Blog at http://www.LifeAtTheBar.com/blog

To learn more, to subcribe to Julie's weekly email newsletter Leadership Matters for Lawyers, or to request a complimentary consultation with Julie, please visit http://www.LifeAtTheBar.com/ or call her at 800.758.6214.

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7 Women Business and Leadership Role Models From the Bible to Inspire Christian Women in Business

Christian women today have many women mentors and role models from Bible days on which to base their business and leadership ventures. The qualities and characteristics of these women from long ago provide patterns for running successful enterprises as well as for being involved in government, legal matters, community organizing and even military operations. Most of these women were married and some functioned from their homes. The activities of these women are often not discussed, leaving some of the best means of motivation and encouragement for contemporary women unknown. This article presents a brief background along with the qualities and skills of only 7 top Bible women in business and leadership who have lessons to share for today.

1. Rahab: Joshua 2:1-22; 6:17-25. Rahab was a businesswoman who ran a lodging place and provided for her family members. Often misrepresented as a prostitute, there is no evidence of this in the Bible. She became known for her willingness to take great risks to negotiate with new people for the protection of herself and her family. Running a lodging facility meant being able to manage a staff of workers, keep clients happy and serve the needs of people from all backgrounds. It also meant being misunderstood by those who didn't understand this nontraditional business role for women. The leadership qualities and skills of Rahab included being industrious and wise, having a business plan, management abilities and negotiation skills.

2. Lydia:Acts 16:14-15, 40. Lydia was a well-known businesswoman who dyed and sold purple cloth. Royalty and the wealthy wore purple cloth. That meant she had a high end target market. Her business had to provide a consistent, high-quality product to meet the standards and needs of a wealthy clientele. She also had employees, which means her company provided jobs for people in her community. Lydia was an entrepreneur who probably would have had a corporate structure. She displayed qualities and skills that included organization management and growth, employee training and development, and strong target market skills.

7 Women Business and Leadership Role Models From the Bible to Inspire Christian Women in Business

3. Priscilla:Acts 18:1-3; 24-28. Priscilla worked alongside of her husband, Aquila, as partners in a tent making business out of their home. She was first mentioned as the mentor to the great Apollo who she helped mentor to preach with more direction and authority. She also traveled extensively in the capacity of evangelist. Her qualities and skills were in working in harmony in a business partnership, managing a home-based business, business development and growth, multi-tasking, coordination, human relations, and mentoring skills.

4. Huldah:2 Kings 22:14-20: 2 Chronicles 34:22-28. Huldah was a prominent prophetess and married woman who was sought out by the King's Advisors for counsel about spiritual matters. Huldah was known for being honest, highly intelligent and a scholar of the Scriptures. The qualities and skills she shares with contemporary Christian women include being a strategist, teacher, strong communicator, life-long learner and a leader who advised others and made hard decisions.

5. Phoebe:Romans 16:1-2. Phoebe was a preacher who worked closely with the Apostle Paul. She was sent by Paul to teach and preach the gospel to the new believers in Rome. Paul strongly urged the believers there to accept her preaching and to support her while in Rome. Phoebe understood the right time to approach others with new ideas and came with the proper introductions. She went to Rome as an evangelist and some believe as a deaconess. The qualities and skills presented by Phoebe are project manager, evangelist of new ideas, teacher, preacher, and collaborator.

6. Deborah:Judges 4 - 5. Deborah was the first woman to be a judge over a nation. She was willing to take on necessary hard tasks that others would not do. Through her leadership the laws of the land were understood and she promoted ethical behavior through the law. Deborah led the Israelite army into a victorious battle in a particularly difficult war situation when her General refused to ride into battle without her. Deborah was a powerful law-maker with qualities and skills as an Army Commander, leader of large groups, decision-maker, motivator, judge, and political official.

7. Candace, Queen of the Ethiopians, Acts 8:27. The Candaces were female rulers of in the African nation of Ethiopia (also known in ancient times as Kush). Unlike Queens of some other African Nations of that time, the Queens of Kush, who were independent rulers, known as Candaces, a distinctive title that existed for 500 years. One Candace received the information about spiritual matters from her treasurer who was baptized by the Apostle Philip during a long journey on state matters. She was receptive of new and better ideas to benefit those she represented. These powerful women had qualities and skills of being national political leaders, rulers, and warriors. They were decision-makers, negotiators and goal-oriented.

Christian women in business have some fabulous role models from Bible women for doing business and being a leader in these contemporary times. The few examples given in this article only provide highlights to the types of activities women had as spiritual and church leaders. These women were ministers, servant leaders, organizers, motivators, and persuaders. They used effective communication skills, organized church events, meetings and services. Knowing their lessons can inspire women even in these modern times to reach higher goals.

7 Women Business and Leadership Role Models From the Bible to Inspire Christian Women in Business
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Consuelo Meux, Ph.D., is the President of the National Association of Christian Women in Business (NACWIB). Do you want to learn more about Women of the Bible and what they have to say to women of today? Then sign up for my free 26 session ecourse "Business Women of the Bible at http://www.nacwib.com

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The Top 19 Bad Leadership Traits

Good leaders may also exhibit bad leadership traits every now and then. But if a leader consistently exhibit bad traits, then you better do something about it because the organization may suffer because of such a leader. Here are the top nineteen bad leadership traits.

1. Too much love for self. A bad leader puts himself above others. In matters involving the organization, he would rather protect his own interests that that of the organization.

2. Poor communication. He assumes a lot and expects others to play by his rules. Yet, he rarely communicates his expectations, his goals and the things that he wants the organization to work on. Poor communication is the cause of numerous preventable conflicts. That is why this is a bad trait for a leader to have.

The Top 19 Bad Leadership Traits

3. Unwillingness to Take Risks. Whether in a business setting or in a non-profit situation, risks are inevitable. A leader who does not want to take risks is either deluded or living in an entirely closed shell!

4. Indecisiveness. A bad leader wavers in his decisions. He decides one thing, then change it again. Then change it again soon after that. People can get easily confused because of this indecisiveness.

5. Laissez Faire. This leader simply lets things happen as they happen. He does not want to participate in constructing the reality that would lead to benefit the organization.

6. Poor Self Management. If you cannot manage yourself, how do you expect to manage a whole set of people who are working on different issues and tasks at the same time? Personal self management is a necessity for any good leader.

7. Playing Favorites. Everything in an organization must be merit-based. Rewards and even punishments must be commensurate to output and performance. If a leader plays favorites, then he is compromising the long-term health of the organization.

8. Lack of Accountability. When a leader just wants to do things his own way without regard of accountability, you have take note. This is the beginning of a lack of accountability which might lead to a leader going astray.

9. Deceitful. If a leader starts telling stories to one person and then a different version of that story to another person, then deceit has taken hold of the leader. There is probably some kind of cover-up going on.

10. Too passionate for power, wealth and prestige. Leaders are entitled to wealth, power and prestige. But if he passionate only for these things, then something has gone awry! He is no longer thinking right for his office and for the organization.

11. Loves big strategies but no thought for implementation. It's good to dream. But you gotta wake up to implement and chase after those dreams!

12. Too much focused on rules. No problem on rules but there are times that they have to be bent to accommodate a bigger good.

13. Ruling with an iron hand. There is no armed rebellion in the workplace isn't there? Since there is none, there is really no need for ruling with an iron hand!

14. Impulsiveness. A leader should think carefully before embarking on any project and say anything at all!

16. Complicates conflicts instead of resolving them. A leader should learn how to manage conflicts and not inflame them.

17. Unwillingness to learn. Given the present situation of the global economy and how the business setting changes continuously, learning is imperative.

18. Reacting negatively to criticism. A leader should keep an open ear to criticism, whether good or bad. It might lead to something good if taken in the right way.

19. Approves unethical business. This is a sure-fire guarantee that your organization will go the way of Enron. Beware of leaders who approve unethical business!

These bad leadership traits can be found all over the workplace. Avoid them. If you find any of these, then you better device some strategy on how to deal with them.

The Top 19 Bad Leadership Traits
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5 Characteristics of Effective Leadership

There are many factors that contribute to effective leadership, and I will address five of them here. An effective leader is crucial to any successful business, whether it is an offline or online business.

The first characteristic of effective leadership is empathy, an understanding and identification with another person's feelings, situation and goals. Showing such empathy even in difficult situations will win you kudos with the staff. In the event of a conflict, a good leader will be able to empathize with both sides, while being able to negotiate an amicable solution. Your staff will work much better with you when you show some empathy.

Secondly, an effective leader shows a tenacious determination and resolve, never wavering in spite of obstacles. Together with a positive attitude, this can turn around an almost impossible situation, thus enabling others to see the brighter picture and carry on with the task at hand, keeping the end result in mind.

5 Characteristics of Effective Leadership

Thirdly, one must be able to detach themselves from the situation and analyze it from a distance. The effective leader is calm and composed in the face of turmoil and uncertainty. This stability like a rock gives a certain sense of character and offers some peace of mind to others who may be mindlessly caught up in that turmoil.

Fourthly, a leader must have excellent communication skills. He must be comfortable running meetings and making presentations. His presentation skills have to be excellent, and be able to convey accurately the essence of the subject at hand and be able to address any ambiguities before they come up. Such communication skills will have to be learned along the way to being a good leader or manager.

Lastly, an effective leader has to be resourceful enough to find the resources that are needed. Not every leader will have an intimate knowledge of the subject, but he will be able to turn to the people in the know and gather any necessary resources as required.

I have covered five important characteristics of an effective leader. Although there are many more characteristics of effective leadership, I believe that these are five crucial factors that will have to be learned by anyone who wishes to become a great leader. These characteristics can be learnt by anyone, whether they are currently an effective leader or not, however, this is not something that you learn in school.

And thus I close this with a quote from John F. Kennedy

"Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other."

5 Characteristics of Effective Leadership
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Shafir Ahmad publishes his ezine at http://www.ShafirAhmad.com - For more leadership and other personal development information, please go to http://effectiveleadership.nmaskuri.com/?sa

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Autocratic vs Consultative Leadership

When one speaks about Leadership styles, there are several different models to choose from. However, whatever the model it is never an easy process to implement or practice a particular style of leadership and hope to get the results that was intended. "Leadership" per se is both an Art as well as a Science. The one key element that all leaders should possess is their ability to communicate their visions and values to the people they are leading and to get the people to buy into their visions and values.

The key concern is whether the leader is getting his people to 'buy-in' or is he trying to 'sell' his vision. When you want to 'sell' you need to be convincing and give the impression that the ideas you have are inherently beneficial to the people and therefore they should accept it. This usually is a challenging dilemma as sometimes the people you are leading might not quite see the relevance of your visions and values and may not be forthcoming in accepting them. However, if you are able to create the circumstances whereby the people feel that what you possess are important visions and values, and that by they buying into these it would benefit them well, you have created a winning formula to lead your people successfully.

If you want your people to 'buy-in' rather than 'sell' your visions and values you need to pay meticulous attention to the type of leadership style that you portray. I personally find that in this context, leadership can be classified either as autocratic leadership style or a consultative leadership style.

Autocratic vs Consultative Leadership

Autocratic Leadership Style

Autocratic leadership is one which is based on a clear top-down approach. The leader is in a position of absolute power and he can implement and do whatever he wants to get things done. Usually in an autocratic leadership environment there will not be much discussion of affairs as the people find that their voices does not carry weight in the problem solving and decision making aspects of their organization.

An autocratic leader will be the driver of his people and without his leadership the organization will not be able to function. Usually autocratic leaders like to delegate their power but at the same time having a stranglehold on all those subordinate to them. They also like to coach their people to do things the way they want it and may create a 'my way or the highway' kind of working environment. The impression one gets in an autocratic leadership style is that the leader is seen as some kind of megalomaniacal tyrant to be feared and followed.

Although there is some truth to this, autocratic leadership is not necessarily a bad style. In fact there are some circumstances where an autocratic leadership should be the preferred style. One instance where autocratic leadership style may be applicable is when the organization is new and the people are inexperience and thus look up to the leadership to guide them in their work. Another instance is if the people are disengaged in their job and have no clear direction and there is vast internal politicking of the kind that is disruptive and causes an emotional strain in the way the organization is being managed. Here a powerful autocratic leadership might help to re-align the organization to its original position and get the people back in shape.

The downside of all this is that an extended period of engaging in an autocratic style of leadership can strain the relationship between the leader and the people in that the people might find the leader to be so task-oriented that they may develop a sense of resentment. Further, when the leader becomes too autocratic he may forget that he is dealing with humans and not machines and might create the impression that the people are just part of the machinery. This can create a sense of dissonance in the work environment which will not be beneficial to the leader, the people and the organization in the long run. Take the cue from Dwight D. Eisenhower who said: "You do not lead by hitting people over the head - that's assault, not leadership"

Consultative Leadership

Consultative leadership is the way to go in the long run. Management Guru, Kenneth Blanchard said: "The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority". This is the very nature of consultative leadership in that you the leader will have to develop the ability to influence people rather than impose on them your authority as is the case in an autocratic leadership style. In consultative leadership style, the leader will engage the subordinates efficaciously in the decision making and problem solving process. This kind of leadership style endorses the fact that the leader is indeed the servant of the people he is leading. The people have the power to engage in consultation with the leader and are able to make suggestions which they know would be taken into serious contemplation by the leader.

Further, consultative leadership style endorses the concept of empowerment rather than delegation. When a leader empowers, he is basically giving the person concern a freehand to do what is necessary. The leader may draw up certain parameters for the person to work within and to ensure that he is kept in the loop by the person. In a consultative leadership style, the leader still has strong visions and concrete values that he can communicate with his people. However unlike the autocratic leader, the concept underlying consultative leadership style is one of administering a people-oriented kind of management rather than a task-oriented one.

The consultative leader's role will continuously involve the development of his people and this is done by being kept aware of the needs and wants of the people. The only way this information can be gotten is by having constant dialogue with the people and clarifying the goals and aspirations that you have and synchronizing this with their personal visions. When the people get to experience this state of being they will be more prepared to 'buy-in' the visions and values of the leader.

In the long haul, consultative leadership will be the most appropriate one. As the organization mature, the leader has to learn to move away from delegation to empowerment. When the people become more experienced and participative in their professional relationship with you the leader, you will have to play the role of a mentor to them. Consultative leadership style will invoke in you the ability to find out the strengths and weaknesses of the individuals under your authority and allow you the opportunity to nurture the best out of them. The parting quote by Elisabeth Dole seems apt to be mentioned here where she said: "What you always do before you make a decision is consult. The best public policy is made when you are listening to people who are going to be impacted. Then, once policy is determined, you call on them to help you sell it".

Autocratic vs Consultative Leadership
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Dr Daniel Theyagu is a corporate trainer and seminar leader who has designed and conducted competency-based training for more than 150 organizations.

He is based in Singapore and can be reached atdtheyagu@singnet.com.sg

Website: http://www.thinklaterally.com

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Five Important Qualities of Effective Leadership

Effective leadership is key to the success of an organization. Without leaders, an organization is like a ship lost at sea. Leaders are those that chart a course for their organization or set new course if necessary. There are many qualities or characteristics of an effective leadership, this article will discuss five of them.

1. Influence and Inspire

Many people think that leadership is about power; driving people to do what you want to accomplish using fear. Well, this is a wrong leadership. A leader is not a boss. An effective leader must be able to influence and inspire people to accomplish a goal, or an objective of an organization. A leader inspires; a bossy person give orders!

Five Important Qualities of Effective Leadership

2. Vision

A leader must be visionary; a clear sense of purpose of the organization. People will only follow you if they see that you know where you are going. A leader must always have loyal followers; a clear sense of hierarchy, know who the bosses are, who to talk to, what are the organization's goals and objectives, and how the organization works is the only way to show others you know what you are doing. If you don't know what you're doing or where you're headed to, people will not follow you.

3. Trust

Effective leaders are trustworthy leaders; similar to respect, it's something you have to earn from your people. Good and effective leadership can be measured from the trust and confidence your subordinates have of you. If they trust you they will go through hell and high water for you and for the organization. However, trust and confidence don't come easily, they are built on good relationships, trustworthiness, and high ethics. The strength of your group and the entire organization depend on the way you deal and the relationships you build with your people. This is the foundation for a strong and effective organization.

4. Communication

Communication is very crucial to effective leadership. The vision, goals, knowledge and technical expertise must be clearly communicated and imparted to all the people in organization. Remember that having a communication skill is only part of the solution; it must also flow smoothly and openly and this can only be achieved when there is trust in your organization. If the trust level is low, it's very difficult to communicate your vision or messages even though you have a high communication skill.

5. Intuition

Effective leaders are intuitive or possess instinctive knowledge to make successful decisions. Some people are naturally gifted with such trait but others learned and developed it through experiences. But one thing is certain when it comes to effective leadership, there is no doubting the importance of intuition. Many times leaders have to rely on intuition for successful decision-making.

Being a leader is not about what you make others do. It's about who you are, what you know, and what you do. You are a reflection of the people who follow you. An effective leader is not a one-man show or do-it-all-yourself hero. Effective leadership is about recognizing and taking advantage of the skills and talents from different people to form a cohesive unit.

Five Important Qualities of Effective Leadership
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Want more information on the qualities of an effective leader? Then, head over to our blog. You will also discover many self improvement tips and download a free report: Power of positive thinking.

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