Question

Leaders have to communicate their vision, strategies and expectations to their followers. Leadership is a complex process which directly impacts on the performance of an organisation. With the use of examples, discuss the key elements of leadership.

Answer 1

Leadership:

Leadership is a process through which an individual binds a group of individual towards attainment of a common goal. The leader should have a clear vision and motivate his team for them to excel in their work.

Key Elements of Leadership:

1. Communication: An effective leader should have the ability to convey messages with clarity. Leader can expect positive results only when he lets his team know what is expected out of them, the vision and mission, strategy of the organization etc. Also communication has to be in a timely manner and the leader should know what to communicate and when to communicate.

2. Decision making: Taking right decision at the right time is must for an effective leader. Decisions have to be appropriate and thought through and should avoid haste decision making.

3. Personal Charisma: A leader should have the skill to influence others. This can happen only through interpersonal skills. A leader with charisma always has positive effect on his team’s performance.

4. Motivation skills: Motivated teams perform better. Hence one of the important skill of an effective leader is to influence the behaviour of his team members towards achievement of goals.

5. Risk taking: An effective leader has to stand by his team at times of emergencies. He has to own responsibility and not blame only the team for irregularities.

6. Strategy focused: Leader has to possess more of strategic skills. He should avoid being more transactional and focus on strategic works which would develop his team and the organization.

7. Project management: To priorities work , to delegate, not to micro manage and to guide when necessary are the typical skills of a good project leader.

Example:

I can think about Adolf Hitler the leader of Germany as an example who had all the above qualities in his leadership. As a result, Hitler won the hearts of people through his Charisma. He was the world’s best orator. His speeches were so influential that Germans just followed his orders.