Posted by Aleksandar M. Velkoski on November 27, 2009 under Leadership Quotes | 
Sun Tzu is thought to have been a general and/or military strategist in the Wu region of China in the 6th century BC. He is most notable for his prized work on military strategy called The Art of War. Within that text, Sun Tzu attempts to explain to readers much of what it takes to be an effective and successful leader in war. I’ve pulled the following quote from his chapter on variation in tactics:
“There are five dangerous faults which may affect a general: 1) Recklessness, which leads to destruction; 2) Cowardice, which leads to capture; 3) A hasty temper, which can be provoked by insults; 4) A delicacy of honor, which is sensitive to shame; 5) Over-solicitude for his men, which exposes him to worry and trouble. These are the five besetting sins of a general, ruinous to the conduct of war.”
Although Sun Tzu’s philosophies on leadership are military focused, those philosophies can be interpreted in a more business sense. I would highly suggest reading this book if you haven’t done so already. If you have, I’d suggest reading it once more.
Posted by Aleksandar M. Velkoski on November 15, 2009 under General Leadership |
As we have stated many time here at The Prime Leader, there is more than one way to effectively lead people. In fact, there are several commonly recognized leadership styles that can have a positive impact on a leader’s effectiveness. Learning the difference between the styles and determining which is best suited for you, and which is best suited for the situation that you face, is the first step towards becoming an effective leader.
First, it is critical that a leader carefully review their strengths and weaknesses. Leadership traits like communication, vision, strategy and the ability to motivate should all be carefully considered. Once a leader has a clear view of their abilities, determining the most effective leadership style is easy.
- Laissez Faire Leadership: This leadership style is defined by the ‘hands off’ approach. Leaders who utilize this style typically have a team of highly trained and effective employees who do not need to be micromanaged.
- Autocratic Leadership: Once popular, the autocratic leadership style has begun to experience a fall in popularity. This style advocates ‘laying down the law‘ and is sometimes likened to Medieval Europe and the feudal lords who ruled the land. Although this leadership style is often viewed as negative, it can be effective in certain situations.
- Participative Leadership: Participative Leadership is quickly becoming the most popular leadership style. This style blends the ‘hands off’ approach with a degree of micromanaging, and when done correctly offers the best of both worlds. Employees realize that they must self-motivate and complete assigned projects and tasks on their own, but know their manager or ‘leader’ will be available to assist them with direction as needed.
It is interesting to note that some (maybe even most) people will not accept a new manager as a ‘leader’ until they have earned that title; therefore, effective leaders need to take steps toward modifying, and integrating, their leadership style appropriately into the various organizations that they operate (we’ll take a closer look at emergent leadership in a few weeks).
Great leaders take the best of various leadership styles and mold them to fit their particular needs and position. They also, some would argue, need to rigidly adhere to the style they have chosen (hopefully a blended style), allowing their employees to experience a level of certainty and reliability from their managers. In other words, if an employee took the same action twice he shouldn’t receive two different responses from his manager.
Leadership style is as much dependent on personality as it is theory. Carefully determining what style works best for you in a given situation is an important step toward becoming an effective leader.
Posted by Aleksandar M. Velkoski on November 5, 2009 under General Leadership, Leadership Development |
It is a misnomer to believe that people are entirely ‘born’ to lead. Leaders typically work to develop traits that allow them to effectively lead those around them. Like any skill, these traits must be learned and practiced. While it is true that some have a better aptitude for learning these qualities, anybody can develop there the ability to lead.
- The ability to make decisions – The best leaders have the ability to make decisions, even difficult ones. They can assess the situation and process the effect each of the possibilities will have. A good leader understands that failing to make decisions will negatively impact the effectiveness of their organization.
- Risk Taking – true leaders are unafraid to take calculated risks. They realize that true success can only be obtained by taking chances. They also have the ability to determine the amount of risk involved in any given situation and the wisdom to know when a particular risk is too great.
- Communication – All great leaders have highly developed communication skills. They are easily able to communicate their wishes and desires to others in an effective way. Through both spoken and written words, leaders are always clear and concise.
- Integrity – True leaders live by the motto “integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching. They are inherently trustworthy and strive to be open and honest in all of their dealings.
- Education – Realizing the importance of continuing education is crucial for effective leadership. By remaining open to new ideas and concepts and by continually improving themselves, they will continue to develop, adapt and grow as the environment around them does.
- Vision – Leaders always strive to look at the big picture. While closely watching the details and keeping their eye on the ‘prize’ leaders have the ability to continually move forward.
- Motivation – Perhaps the most important quality of leaders is their ability to motivate those around them. They are able to impart their vision in such a way that their ideas become exciting and possible. This motivation serves to promote both their business interest and the personal goals of the organization. Charisma plays a large role in motivation.
- Self-Awareness – The ability to look at themselves and clearly recognize their strengths and weakness sets leaders apart from those around them. They are able to take criticism of their faults well and constructively address them.
- Team Building – Leaders can easily recognize the strengths of their employees and effectively divide them into teams that are more successful than individuals. Team building strategies are a proven way of increasing the productivity of an organization.
- Strategy – The best leaders always have a clear plan of action and follow it to achieve their goals. In addition, the can recognize when a particular strategy is not working and will work to tweak their plan for maximum effectiveness.
True leaders utilize these qualities to help themselves and their employees to strive for the best and often to accomplish the impossible. Diligently working on these qualities is the first step towards becoming an effective leader. What are your top leadership qualities?
